A Pennsylvania restaurant visit by Vice President Kamala Harris is drawing scrutiny after customers alleged they were forced out to allow actors to stage a photo op for the campaign. The accusations emerged after Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, made a stop at Primanti Bros. as part of their campaign trail.
Social media was quick to react after a video surfaced on X showing Trump supporters protesting outside the restaurant. Inside, Harris and Walz were seen interacting with people, but according to some, those individuals were “paid actors” brought in after local customers were told to leave. “Customers at Primanti Bros. restaurant in PA were kicked out to make way for paid actors during a Kamala Harris photo op,” read a widely shared post.
The backlash grew as John LeFevre, a former investment banker, claimed, “Every single customer was kicked out and replaced with actors.” The sentiment was amplified by conservative voices like Catturd, who labeled the event as staged and disingenuous.
While footage from WFAA shows Harris and Walz chatting with diners, the authenticity of those interactions is now under question. The controversy highlights concerns about how political campaigns manage optics, with critics arguing that the alleged use of actors underscores a lack of genuine public support for the candidates.
Though no official confirmation has been made regarding the eviction of local customers or the use of paid actors, the story has fueled ongoing discussions about the lengths to which campaigns will go to manufacture favorable optics. The incident continues to stir anger among social media users, particularly those skeptical of the Harris-Walz campaign’s grassroots appeal.
