Trump Promised to Fix McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines—Will He Deliver?
This is a crisis of Chocolate and Vanilla proportions.
Boca Raton — Growing up, there was a flurry of magic in sneaking off to McDonald’s after school. There was a McDonald’s two blocks away from my childhood elementary school. My latchkey friends and I’d gather there to study, sipping iced coffees, giddy on caffeine while our parents and guardians weren’t keeping their eyes on us.
It was at McDonald’s that I discovered the joy of a vanilla ice cream cone, perfected in combination with those salty French fries. But that dream is a distant memory for many Americans — who already have learned “the ice cream machine is broken” at McDonald’s and don’t think to try ordering it anymore.
In October 2024, Donald Trump tapped into this cultural frustration by pledging on Twitter: "WHEN I'M PRESIDENT THE MCDONALD'S ICE CREAM MACHINES WILL WORK GREAT AGAIN!"
While McDonald’s claims that “95% of ice cream machines are working” at any given time, my experience —and that of countless Americans — tells a different story. I’ve taken the kid I babysit to McDonald’s about a dozen times in the past year. Never did we get any ice cream with her apple pies. The machines were always down.
The Real Reason McDonald’s Ice Cream Machines Are Broken
The idea of the “broken machine” is really a misnomer. Employees have explained that the complicated machine is not broke per se, but rather neglected and not cleaned regularly.
With labor costs rising, cleaning the ice cream machine takes a backseat. Saying it’s “broke” is a convenient excuse. This has become such a cultural spectacle that in 2020, a developer even created a “McBroken” map to document which McDonald’s have working ice cream machines.
Yet every day, there are still dozens of new posts on TikTok, Instagram and Reddit about broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s. It’s a crisis: of chocolate and vanilla portions.
After the McDonald’s Franchise Wars of 2023, owner-operated McDonald’s were legally granted the ability to to clean their own machines in 2024. But progress is slow to roll out, and inconsistencies are manifest. They were given permission to fix their own machines, but not the tools to do so.
The reality is that 70 million people visit McDonald’s daily, and many of those in the United States are Trump supporters. During the campaign, Trump famously served McDonald’s at his rallies and events, a nod to his populist, pro-America branding. If McDonald’s ice cream machine dysfunction is a symbol of corporate stagnation, then Trump—now back in the White House—has the opportunity to fix it.
THE FRANCISE WARS AND A SLOW ROAD TO REFORM
As we know, most McDonald’s uses Taylor brand ice cream machines. These machines go on what employees call a “heat treat” cycle every day, week or month, depending on the franchise and the country. Across franchises, it is notoriously inconsistent.
Researching this, inconsistent information is the norm, likely because each owner-operated franchise has different internal rules regarding machine maintence and labor directives.
For example, Australian McDonald’s workers typically report cleaning their machines once a day. That’s a recipe for disaster when dealing with dairy-based products.
Most American McDonald’s employees report cleaning it on a weekly or monthly basis. These costly machines often break down, notably leading to the “Right to Repair” movement among franchise owners in recent years.
“Before this week, most of the McDonald's ice cream makers could only be fixed through the machine’s manufacturer,” wrote Emma Bowman of NPR in 2024.
“The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which protects the code embedded in the ice cream machines, made it illegal for third parties, like McDonald’s employees and franchisee owners, to break the digital locks installed by manufacturers.”
“The new rule allows outside vendors to fix retail-level commercial food preparation equipment. That includes McDonald’s ice cream machines” she wrote.
“This is a significant step forward,” wrote one blog celebrating the move, but said the rule doesn’t go far enough. While the ruling makes it legal for people to repair machines… “it doesn’t allow [McDonald’s owners] to share or distribute the tools necessary to do so.”
NEW WAYS FORWARD?
The power that President Trump currently has over American business interests should not be understated. The flurry of executive orders we’ve seen since January 20 illustrate that Trump is highly effective at getting what he wants.
Some organizations have crumbled after Trump’s missives directing the acknowledgement of only “two genders” and his executive order against DEI practices in the federal government. Many non-governmental institutions have followed suit.
Trump is a master businessman. there’s no reason why he can’t call up the puppets who control McDonald’s and ensure that the issue is resolved to the liking of the all parties involved. It could involve a commitment on the part of McDonald’s to prioritize fixing broken machines, or switching to a new brand of more innovative machines. There are many possibilities.
While fixing McDonald’s ice cream machines may seem minor, it would be a symbolic reminder to Americans each day of Trump's commitment to business innovation, solutions, efficiency and deregulation — core ideas that galvanize President Trump and the Republican voting base.
Plus, after all, President Trump said it himself: "WHEN I'M PRESIDENT THE MCDONALD'S ICE CREAM MACHINES WILL WORK GREAT AGAIN!"
So, Mr. President—this ice cream crisis is real. It’s time to make McDonald’s great again.
The little girl I babysit — and the 146 million people who saw your Tweet pledging to fix the ice cream machine — would really appreciate it.
This opinion piece was brought to you by Toni Airaksinen, Senior Editor of Liberty Affair and a journalist based in Delray Beach, Florida. Follow her on Substack , on X @ Toni_Airaksinen and Instagram @Toni_Airaksinen.
Toni, I have it from a very reliable source that the machine breakdowns had to do with employees disregarding maintenance and proper care of the machine. Further scrutiny found that the reason had to do with McDonald's DEI hiring programs.
Since Trump came to office, McDonald's has scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The company is shifting its focus to "inclusion" and will hire and evaluate based on meritocracy. This, of course, will mean proper care and maintenance of the ice cream machines which in turn will result in fewer breakdowns.
Bottom line... I predict a follow-up article from you telling consumers some very good news.
papa j
Soft-serve machines usually require cleaning every day, otherwise they clog and stop working. This means taking it partially apart and cleaning the rotating parts. Since that takes time and owners don't want overtime, they shut down the machines before the store closes - that way an employee can spend their last half-hour on the clock cleaning the machine. Then they tell the angry customers the machine is broken (instead of the truth, which is that the owner is cutting corners on labor).