A Panda Express franchise located in Lakewood, Washington may have triggered a nationwide boycott of the popular Chinese fast-food restaurant after employees targeted a man and his friend for wearing a red MAGA hat and openly supporting President Donald Trump while the two were ordering food in the establishment, according to information about the incident shared by the victim, conservative influencer Chris Sims.
Sims, along with his close friend and fellow activist, Danny Rebel, was livestreaming when they walked into the restaurant to order some food on May 10, 2026. A cook started staring Sims down, revealing a few moments later that he had a problem with his MAGA hat. As the cook continued to stare, Sims gave him a thumbs up. They were told they needed to leave the restaurant.
As they were leaving, Sims overheard staff calling the police and telling them that they had refused to leave. The whole incident was captured on the livestream, providing evidence that the claims made by the staff were completely false. As Sims and Rebel left and stood on the sidewalk, continuing to stream, two employees followed them onto a public sidewalk and seemingly attempted to intimidate them.
According to a report from Seattle Red, four police units showed up outside the restaurant in response to the call. However, after talking with both employees and the two men, they determined there was no crime committed and laughed the incident off. When law enforcement officers informed workers that no crime was committed, the individual who called the police started to cry.
Panda Express released a statement concerning the situation, stating they were reviewing the incident and said things had been “handled and addressed at the restaurant level.” The statement then said that the company had “reinforced to all our associates the importance of delivering a consistent, welcoming experience for every guest.” In other words, it’s unlikely that any of the employees involved in the incident faced any real consequences for their actions.
Chris Sims and Danny Rebel recounted being kicked out of Panda Express for wearing MAGA hats.@RobFinnertyUSA @DannyRebel333 @ChrisxSims pic.twitter.com/w1U0vDAm4z
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) May 16, 2026
However, Panda Express might end up suffering for the actions of the employees as users on social media have been declaring their intent to boycott the fast-food chain. User Dennis Smith wrote, “I guess I won’t be going to Panda Express for a while. If ever.” Another commenter zinged, “I feel like Chinese today. Guess I’ll be going to China Moon.”
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“Yeah I used to eat at Panda Express, but now I’m looking for some new options that don’t politically discriminate. Go woke, go broke,” another individual stated. “PANDA EXPRESS, YOUR WISH IS NOW OUR COMMAND! YOU WILL NOW BE VISITED MAGA LESS! There are many True, Proud Chinese American 🇺🇸 Patriot owned Chinese restaurants that would be thrilled to have your (Now former) USA loving consumer base! & No matter what political view, ur welcome!” Another user said.
Someone else stated plainly that conservatives cannot, in good conscience, support businesses and companies that openly hate their customers. One user suggested holding a flag waving event outside of a Panda Express. Others have started advising Sims and Rebel to file a lawsuit against the restaurant for discrimination.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video