(WTAJ) — Vice presidential nominee JD Vance, at no fault of his own, caused controversy when he was kicked out of a Primanti Bros. restaurant in Pennsylvania.
Vance, who was in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, was reportedly asked to leave Primanti Bros. when he popped up Saturday. According to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Vance showed up unannounced at the eatery in North Versailles and was asked by management to leave or they would call the cops.
The company later put out a statement, claiming confusion as management and workers were unaware he would be arriving.
“Primanti’s prides itself on being a staple of the Pittsburgh community and a proud American business that has hosted sitting presidents, politicians, and political candidates from across the spectrum for over 90 years. Our doors are open to all patrons who wish to dine with us. Without any advance notice, today’s campaign stop caused some momentary confusion for our staff. However, Senator Vance and his team were welcomed into our restaurant shortly after and engaged with our guests inside and on the property. Senator Vance’s supportive comments that our manager got a little nervous given the Secret Service, police and crowd accurately reflect the nature of what occurred and we are glad that it was resolved quickly.”
Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar
Sam Demarco, an Allegheny County councilman, disputed the statement Primanti Bros. put out, saying that Vance and his team “were NOT welcomed” to the eatery. He said in a post on X that Vance’s team reached out to Primanti Bros. ahead of time and they even had a sandwich waiting for him. The only entry Vance made, Demarco said, was to pay for everyone’s meal.
Recently, current vice president and presidential candidate Kamala Harris stopped by Primanti Bros. in the Pittsburgh area. Social media users were quick to claim that customers were asked to move and leave so actors could take their place, likely for a campaign video.