A group of diners planning to enjoy Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s famous Primanti Bros. sandwiches on Saturday were surprised and outraged when staff told them to leave by 4 p.m.
It was a typical Saturday afternoon as a handful of guests sat down for beer, food and baseball, but were soon interrupted by a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris.
“At about 3:30 the bartender says, ‘Last round’ – what do you mean, ‘last round’?” said regular Mark Dodson to Fox News reporter Charles Creitz.
Staff told guests they had to leave the room because it was a “private event,” which was a campaign rally for Kamala Harris.
A group of supporters of former President Donald Trump gathered outside the restaurant to boo Harris and wave signs and Trump flags as the vice president and her team arrived at the famous eatery.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (left) greets customers at Primanti Bros. restaurant.
Supporters of former U.S. President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greet Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during a stop on a campaign bus tour at Primanti Bros. Restaurant
“They kicked us out of Primanti Brothers,” commented one man as someone in the crowd filmed a caravan of over a dozen unmarked Ford Transit vans arriving at the location.
“Look at all the paid actors!” shouted other people in the pro-Trump crowd. “All those actors in those vans!”
“During Kamala Harris’ visit to Primanti’s this afternoon, they kicked out all the customers at 4pm so they could bring their own crowd,” Sam DeMarco III, chairman of the Allegheny County Republican Committee, wrote on social media, sharing a video of the crowd.
“Look at all the white vans,” he added. “Remember that when you watch videos of them interacting in them.”
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gets off her bus in front of the Primanti Bros. restaurant during a stop on her campaign tour
Vice President Kamala Harris stepped off her campaign bus around 6 p.m. and entered the restaurant, where she was greeted by a group of enthusiastic fans and campaign media representatives and was photographed.
The second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, also appeared at the restaurant and spoke to what appeared to be local guests who were very polite and happy to see them.
At one point, a woman directs Harris to meet “some of our other supporters,” including a young girl who greeted Harris warmly and commented on the book she was holding. She spoke to the girl about school and said she was “counting on you to be a leader” while staff members took photos of the conversation.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (right) greets customers at Primanti Bros. restaurant.
A second staff member then instructs Harris to meet a “volunteer” while the vice president takes a photo with the couple.
It is common for candidates to stop at local restaurants during their campaign because the Secret Service sometimes conducts security checks beforehand.
Sometimes campaign workers are notified of the events in advance, as they are usually positioning themselves to meet their political hero and get a photo.
However, it is rare for candidates to close a restaurant completely before a short campaign stop.
Trump faced similar accusations of “staging” on social media from Democratic activists after he visited a Chick Fil A in Atlanta and hugged conservative activist Michaelah Montgomery. Montgomery later spoke about the moment in an interview with Fox News the next morning.
The Harris campaign has taken additional security measures to prevent any unexpected moments or confrontations with angry protesters unhappy with Harris’ handling of Israel’s war in Gaza.
Last week, Harris required attendees at her rally to show photo ID and waited until the last minute to announce the venue.
