Yelp Pauses Reviews After Donald Trump’s McDonald’s Visit Sparks “Unusual Activity Alert”

Yelp temporarily halted new reviews for a McDonald’s in Feasterville, Pennsylvania, following a surge of “unusual reviews” after former President Donald Trump made a high-profile visit to the restaurant. The pause was initiated as Yelp investigated the flood of reviews that poured in after Trump worked briefly at the fry station and drive-through window during a campaign photo-op, which caused the restaurant to shut down normal operations for hours.

The sudden influx of reviews featured a wide range of commentary, from humorous to vulgar, with some targeting both Trump and the franchise owner for hosting the campaign event. As NBC News reported, these reviews “varied in content, jest, and vulgarity,” with several taking jabs at the experience of having Trump serve at the restaurant.

One particularly biting one-star review read: “Customer service was a joke. A juvenile old man got bronzer on my fries and didn’t wear gloves. Repeated himself several times, What about Ronald McDonald in the showers at the golf club? Idk. 0 stars. Do not recommend.”

Another reviewer sarcastically referenced Trump’s legal troubles: “The person who was at the drive-through vaguely resembled someone who I saw on the news for being a convicted felon.”

Even a two-star review got in on the action: “Fire that smelly old man cursing at the fryer! Employees seemed extremely angry and confused like he didn’t even really know where he was. I think I smelled s—. Fries still pretty good.”

Before Yelp issued its “unusual activity alert” and suspended comments on Monday, the McDonald’s location had received over 145 reviews, a drastic increase from its usual activity. This prompted the platform to step in to prevent the restaurant’s rating from being skewed by politically motivated or joke reviews.

A message now displayed on the location’s Yelp page explains the reason for the suspension: “This business recently received increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news.” The notice further clarifies that Yelp is “investigating whether the content you see here reflects actual consumer experiences rather than the recent events.”

Yelp has taken similar steps in the past when businesses gain sudden, viral attention due to political or social incidents, aiming to ensure that the platform remains a place for genuine reviews based on real consumer experiences. For now, Yelp is encouraging users who have a “first-hand experience with the business” to return later to leave their reviews once the investigation is complete.

This incident at the Feasterville McDonald’s highlights the intersection of politics and everyday businesses, as even a fast-food chain can become the focus of public commentary following a visit by a high-profile figure like Trump.