Diners Fume, Kamala Brings In Actors, Entire Stop Was A Shame

The atmosphere at Primanti Bros., a well-loved Pittsburgh landmark, turned tense on Sunday as patrons were unexpectedly asked to leave, sparking frustration and confusion. The incident unfolded just before the arrival of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who were making a campaign stop at the popular eatery in Moon, Pennsylvania.

Mark Dodson, a Collier resident, was among those caught off guard. Dodson had hoped for a quiet afternoon watching the Pittsburgh Pirates game while enjoying one of Primanti’s famous sandwiches, stacked high with meats and fries. But around 3:30 p.m., the bartender announced last call, informing Dodson and others that the restaurant was closing early for a private event. The news didn’t sit well with Dodson, who said, “This is BS – this is a public restaurant. It was kind of mind-boggling to me.”

 

As the patrons trickled out, Dodson realized he was the last customer to leave. Outside, he noticed a group of protesters, many sporting pro-Trump attire, gathering across the street. Video footage shared online showed the Harris-Walz campaign bus arriving soon after, greeted by chants of, “They kicked us out of Primanti Brothers,” and accusations that the diners seen in the footage of the visit were actors. One man among the protesters even shouted, “Holy hell, all these actors in these vans,” as the entourage arrived.

Another patron, Amy Smith, who lives in Moon, had a similar experience. She had been at Primanti Bros. for lunch and had been expecting Harris to visit, as the Vice President was scheduled for several stops in the area. Smith, who left the restaurant around 4 p.m., noted that Harris didn’t arrive until about 6 p.m. – two hours after the patrons were asked to leave.

While the abrupt closure left some patrons disgruntled, there was also an effort to calm the situation. Sam DeMarco, chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, suggested that the restaurant should be given some leeway, noting that it’s not unusual for campaigns to rent out a business for private events. He did, however, add a caveat, humorously suggesting that he would take issue if similar arrangements weren’t offered to figures like former President Trump or Senator JD Vance in the future.

 

This unexpected turn of events at Primanti Bros. was not the only point of controversy during Harris’s visit. The Vice President also made a stop at a Sheetz gas station, which raised eyebrows because the Biden administration is currently suing the chain for alleged civil rights violations related to its hiring practices. This prompted Republican lobbyist David Urban to highlight the irony, sharing an image of Harris at Sheetz with the caption, “Apparently, KamalaHarris forgot that the Biden Harris Administration is suing Sheetz for requiring criminal background checks of their employees when she visited for some snacks yesterday.”

 

 

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