A flyer posted this week at a San Marcos McDonald’s said: “Be served in Drive Thru by Congressman Darrell Issa,” offering complimentary “Freedom Fries” between noon and 1 p.m. Thursday.
But noon came and no Issa.
That didn’t stop at least 100 protesters with clever signs and “this is what democracy looks like” chants.
Summoned by Indivisible of North County San Diego (“EMERGENCY RALLY!”) on social media, a crowd that lined West San Marcos Boulevard soon learned the East County Republican was a no-show — unaware that he’d delay his arrival by hours.
A little before 6:30 p.m., Issa spokesman Jonathan Wilcox sent me email, saying: “Looks like you missed all the action.” He shared three photos of Issa wearing an apron and posing with franchise owner Brenda Schmid.
A female manager answering the phone at McDonald’s said Schmid wasn’t there and couldn’t say when Issa made his visit.
“I don’t know [when he came],” she said, “and we’re not supposed to answer any like news questions … that’s just what they told us.”
In a statement to Times of San Diego, Issa aide Wilcox wouldn’t specify the arrival time either.
“When is the media going to stop cheerleading the most partisan Democrats in town as they harass perfect strangers for no reason and try to stop a congressman from visiting district businesses and meeting constituents desiring a real conversation?” he said via email.
(In fact, this McDonald’s is outside the 48th Congressional District and lies within Rep. Scott Peters’ 50th district.)
An organizer of the street rally who declined to give her name said the event’s purpose was to urge Issa to hold an in-person town hall.
“Our entire motivation is to have an audience with him — have all these fine folks be able to tell their representative what is important to them,” she said.
Holding her chicken head mask, she added: “It’s heartbreaking to see so many senior citizens scared that they might lose their only source of income and their health care.
“And the fact that they can’t meet with Darrell Issa, even if you stalk him and show up to a McDonald’s on a Thursday afternoon. There’s no hope for any of us if we can’t talk to our representative.”
She said she didn’t live in Issa’s 48th District, but called herself the leader of Indivisible North County San Diego — which began in 2017 to oppose Rep. Duncan D. Hunter.
She said she learned Issa wouldn’t appear from someone who got the word from KPBS in the adjacent parking lot.
In fact, a supervisor at McDonald’s told Times of San Diego around 11 a.m. that Issa had changed his plans and might appear at a different time Thursday.
Minutes later, he returned and nervously said Issa might not come at all Thursday.
Schmid, the eatery’s franchise owner and operator, was said to be working in the back but was busy and wasn’t made available for an interview.
Around noon, McDonald’s HR executive Brooks Hoven told me Issa wasn’t coming but didn’t know if he’d reschedule the free-fries visit.
Hoven called himself “head of safety.”
Carol Gendel, a protester, said Issa didn’t want to face his own residents in a town hall.
“And he doesn’t want to face a protest either,” she said. “So that doesn’t surprise me at all.”
Marsha Bryan said a friend told her Thursday morning about the street protest.
“I said I’ll be there,” Bryan said.
“I’m here because I want to talk to my congressman — and tell him just how upset I am about all that’s going on right now,” she said, holding a cardboard sign with the hand-lettered message “Hey Issa! Chicken nuggets would be more appropriate — 2,900-plus days no town hall.”
“I want to know where he stands.”
Some of her main issues: Social Security, immigration and the economy (“It’s just falling apart”).
A veteran of previous rallies — held weekly in El Cajon and Escondido — she decried the “inept” people running the country. “Ridiculous.”
So why was she there, knowing Issa wasn’t?
“It’s more important than French fries, believe me,” Bryan said. “It’s a lot more important. It’s about our lives. It’s about our continuing as a country, who we are as Americans.”
Updated at 8 p.m. April 24, 2025
