A McDonald's location successful Feasterville, Pennsylvania, that hosted erstwhile president Donald Trump connected October 20 has had its Yelp reviews abnormal aft attracting a flurry of politicized comments.
Yelp told CBS MoneyWatch it decided to artifact caller reviews for nan McDonald's location because it wants to guarantee that personification comments bespeak "genuine, firsthand" experiences pinch businesses. Yelp placed an "unusual activity alert" connected nan Feasterville, PA-based restaurant's page connected nan day of October 21.
About 145 caller reviews had already been posted anterior to that, though Trump only served nutrient to pre-selected supporters successful 5 cars connected Sunday. Otherwise, nan restaurant, located successful Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was closed to nan nationalist that morning.
Yelp disables reviews
Trump's quality astatine nan restaurant, wherever he donned an apron and worked nan drive-thru, sparked immoderate controversy, prompting McDonald's Corp. to stress this was not a statesmanlike endorsement. A motion connected nan doorway from nan franchise proprietor and usability acknowledged they are nonpartisan, adding that they proudly service everyone.
The aforesaid cannot beryllium said of immoderate reviewers connected Yelp, who took distinctly partisan views connected Trump's quality astatine nan location.
"Senile aged man moving fries without due edifice hygiene," 1 reviewer posted connected October 21.
Another wrote, "Felons moving nan model present pinch entree to your in installments cards and cash," a reference to Trump having been convicted of multiple felony counts of falsifying business records in his Manhattan criminal proceedings earlier this year.
Others called retired nan antagonistic reviews arsenic politically motivated. "This business is being reappraisal bombed, complete politics, by a bunch of hateful fools who person ne'er been to nan restaurant," 1 wrote connected October 21.
"It's sad yet unsurprising that deranged liberals would degrade a mini business simply because they can't guidelines Donald Trump. They should get a life," Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said successful an email.
Trump's sojourn to nan McDonald's was spurred by his assertion, without evidence, that Vice President Kamala Harris had ne'er worked astatine nan restaurant. She has antecedently said she worked astatine nan fast-food concatenation while successful college.
For its part, Yelp said its determination to disable comments is owed to its extremity of ensuring genuine reviews for its users.
"Consumer spot is 1 of our apical priorities, which is why Yelp makes important investments successful exertion and quality moderation to protect nan integrity and value of contented connected our platform," it said. "When we spot nan activity dramatically alteration aliases stop, our moderators will cleanable up nan page truthful reviews describing only firsthand user experiences are reflected."
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- McDonald's
- Donald Trump
Aimee Picchi
Aimee Picchi is nan subordinate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, wherever she covers business and individual finance. She antecedently worked astatine Bloomberg News and has written for nationalist news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.