The latest on the campaign trail by Ohio Republican senator JD Vance, a vice-presidential candidate, got a little weird when he was initially refused entry into the popular sandwich shop known as Primanti Bros. in North Versailles, Pennsylvania. It promptly went viral, as wide attention and reaction poured in both from his supporters and critics.
How the incident unfolded
Vance made an unscheduled stop at Primanti Bros on September 29, 2024, along with other stops as he campaigned. Restaurant employees said they were not ready for the unsolicited visit and initially quibbled about serving him, citing confusion. The manager mentioned concern about his entourage of Secret Service agents and a heavy media contingent that tagged along. Several patrons inside had hoped to meet Vance, but the manager hankered for a break and didn’t want the place used as a campaign venue.
Vance then detailed to his supporters what transpired outside the restaurant from the manager, who “freaked out” with the crowd, and that she did not want her restaurant to be a part of any event that was political. He told his supporters not to hold this against the staff and to continue supporting the business. “It’s alright, don’t hold it against her,” he said, describing the incident as just one nervous moment on their part.
Social media reaction
The incident went viral on the social media platforms as users ridiculed Vance’s awkward interaction and made serious guesses regarding the organizational failures of his campaign team. Memes and TikTok parodies surfaced online, pitting Vance’s awkwardness against smoother campaign stops by other politicians. In fact, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had visited another sandwich shop recently without incident and further fanned the ridicule piled on Vance.
Critics immediately jumped onto social media to declare the mistake symbolic of larger failings in how Vance managed his campaign. Indeed, some pundits went so far as to say his advance team was arguably “the worst in modern election history” with many of his public appearances plagued by a string of gaffes.
Primanti Bros’ response
Primanti Bros later issued a statement that the refusal was because of “momentary confusion” on the part of their uninformed employees who had no previous knowledge of Vance’s dropping by. They said they allow all customers and were very glad that despite the mishap, it was overcome so soon. “Our doors are open to everyone, irrespective of who desires to dine with us,” the restaurant affirmed, furthering a decades-long tradition of serving political figures across the spectrum.
After some negotiating with corporate management, Primanti Bros finally caved in and allowed Vance and his team inside. He purchased one meal for all patrons and left an extremely generous tip for further attempt at smoothing any potential backlash against the establishment.
MAGA supporters reaction
The reactions from the MAGA supporters are coming in hot and heavy. From a great amount of frustration for the initial denial, many were taken in by soothing tones of Vance speaking to his supporters outside the restaurant as he tries to diffuse tensions, and he comes off showing a grace under fire which sits well with a segment of his base.
Yet at the same time, there was also accountability in terms of how such an embarrassing situation could occur on an important campaign stop in a key swing state like Pennsylvania. This incident merely served to further illustrate not only Vance’s own struggles on the campaign trail but also raised some serious questions regarding the efficacy of his team in managing public engagements.
Implications for Vance’s campaign
How this viral moment will affect the overall campaign strategy of JD Vance ahead of the November elections remains to be seen. Most certainly, attention has been called to it, both negative and positive, reflecting the polarized nature of contemporary American politics.
How Vance bounces back from this mistake will be put to the test as he hits the road into critical battleground states from here on out. That Vance said he won’t hold a grudge against Primanti Bros characterizes a candidate attempting to sustain good will while, at the same time, confronting any spillover consequences of screw-ups that may dent voter perception.
