Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign stop at a popular Pittsburgh restaurant faces accusations of staging, as diners claim they were forced to leave for a “private event.”
At a Glance
- Patrons at Primanti Brothers restaurant were asked to leave before Harris’s arrival
- Republican officials accuse the campaign of bringing in their own audience
- Protesters gathered outside, criticizing the alleged staged event
- Harris’s visit to Sheetz gas station also drew criticism due to ongoing lawsuit
- Campaign faces scrutiny over potential use of actors and manipulation of environment
Diners Forced to Leave Popular Pittsburgh Restaurant
Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent campaign stop at Primanti Brothers, a popular Pittsburgh restaurant, has sparked controversy and accusations of staging. Multiple patrons reported being asked to leave the establishment hours before Harris’s arrival, with the restaurant citing a “private event” as the reason for the early closure.
Mark Dodson, a patron at Primanti Brothers, expressed his frustration with the situation:
“Around 3:30, the bartender, she goes, ‘It’s last call’ – what do you mean last call? They shut down the TVs… so you couldn’t watch the game,” he said. “I said, this is BS – this is a public restaurant. It was kind of mind-boggling to me.”
Accusations of Staged Event and Use of Actors
The controversy deepened when Sam DeMarco III, chairman of the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, shared a video on social media showing the Harris-Walz campaign bus and several white vans arriving at the restaurant. DeMarco accused the campaign of orchestrating the event with their own audience:
“For Kamala Harris’s visit to Primanti’s this afternoon they kicked out all the customers at 4 p.m. so they could bring in their own audience,” he wrote on X. “Look at all the white vans. Keep that in mind as you see video of them interacting inside. Kudos to the Trump supporters who welcomed them to Allegheny County!” Source
Protesters gathered outside the restaurant, many wearing pro-Trump attire, to voice their displeasure with the alleged staged event. Some were heard shouting, “They kicked us out of Primanti Brothers” and “You are terrible people.”
Campaign Faces Additional Criticism
The Harris campaign’s troubles didn’t end at Primanti Brothers. The Vice President’s subsequent stop at a Sheetz gas station for Doritos drew further criticism due to an ongoing lawsuit between the Biden administration and the convenience store chain.
Republican lobbyist David Urban pointed out the apparent contradiction:
“Apparently, Kamala Harris forgot that the Biden Harris Administration is suing Sheetz for requiring criminal background checks of their employees when she visited for some snacks yesterday.” Source
Implications for Campaign Credibility
The allegations of staging and actor use have raised questions about the authenticity of political campaign events and their impact on voter perception. While it’s not uncommon for campaigns to control their environments, the apparent displacement of regular patrons and the potential use of actors have sparked a debate about the ethics of such practices.
As the 2024 election season heats up, this incident serves as a reminder of the scrutiny faced by high-profile political figures and the importance of maintaining transparency in campaign operations. The Harris campaign has yet to respond to requests for comment on the allegations, leaving voters to draw their own conclusions about the authenticity of the event.
Sources:
1. Diners claim Harris campaign staged stop at popular Pittsburgh restaurant
