A pricey burger that went viral on TikTok has fueled a social media firestorm about President Biden’s economic policies, casting a shadow over his campaign.
An eye-popping receipt for a $16 McDonald’s meal posted on TikTok last year has resurfaced and gone viral, serving a taste of how many Americans are battling with soaring food prices.
What started as a simple TikTok video has now become a symbol of economic anxiety, with some tying the pricey burger to what they see as President Joe Biden’s poor economic management. There has been a boom of similar videos on TikTok as inflation remains a hot topic, especially among millennials and Gen Zers.
Meanwhile, some media outlets contend that such videos could be fostering negative perceptions of both the economy and the Biden administration, potentially fueling exaggerated pessimism that could pose a challenge to the president’s reelection bid.
It all started on Dec. 20, 2022, when a man named Topher Olive went to his local McDonald’s in Post Falls, Idaho, and ordered a Smoky BLT Double Quarter Pounder with fries and a Sprite. To his shock, the receipt showed a total of $16.10.
“I get there’s a labor shortage. I get there’s wage increases and a number of other things. But $16—$16 for a burger, a large fry, and a drink. It’s just crazy,” he said in a TikTok video as he shared the receipt for his hefty fast-food bill.
It’s worth noting that the menu item was a limited-time offering at McDonald’s, featuring a freshly prepared quarter-pound beef patty, which the video overlooked.
Shortly after sharing the video, Mr. Olive’s post attracted more than 125,000 views. In early November, 11 months later, the post regained traction after the release of a McDonald’s earnings report, which exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. The company attributed the third-quarter revenue growth to “strategic menu price increases.”
Recently, many news organizations picked up the story of Mr. Olive’s pricey burger. The New York Times and The Washington Post, for example, investigated whether TikTok posts in general are fueling voter anger toward President Biden.
By Emel Akan
