A conservative influencer says employees at his local Panda Express called local law enforcement authorities on him and his friend after he wore a MAGA hat into the establishment and gave a thumbs up gesture to a cook who was staring at him menacingly, booting them out of the restaurant. The influencer, Chris Sims, posted about the incident on his X account.
“Panda Express kicked out @DannyRebel333 and Myself out for Simply wearing a MAGA hat, and giving a thumbs up to a cook that just stood and Stared at me the whole time because of my Hat,” Sims went on to write. “I asked if there was an issue and the cook said, ‘Your hat,” so I asked if he supported it,” Sims continued.
“They proceeded to call the police, and falsely say we were refusing to leave,” he added. “I left the store and stood on the sidewalk and multiple employees came out to intimidate me to leave and stop filming on the public sidewalk. The Police informed the staff that we did nothing wrong, the woman who called 911 cried and walked back into the building,” he explained.
“No crime, No disturbance, Just a hat and a Thumbs up. This is blatant political discrimination. Panda Express should be ashamed and hold its employees to higher standards,” the influencer concluded. The two men were livestreaming their visit to the restaurant, but began asking questions when one of the workers stared at them, according to a report from Fox News.
Sims, along with his friend and fellow vlogger, Danny Rebel, sat down for an interview with Newsmax where they provided additional details about the incident. Sims stated that he was streaming on social media and interacting with his followers while Rebel was paying for their food and being polite to the staff. “And as we walked out, I looked, and I just gave him a thumbs up, because he wouldn’t smile, didn’t have any facial expression. And then he kind of walked over, and I was like, ‘I do something to you guys, is everything okay?'”
The employee then said something about Sims’ hat. He responded by asking him if he supported it. The workers told the two men they needed to leave. Later in the video clip of the incident, two workers come out and tell the men they can’t stand outside on the sidewalk. The tension was thick enough to cut through with a knife and the Newsmax host pointed out that if the influencers hadn’t been livestreaming, things could have turned violent.
A spokesperson for the Panda Restaurant Group sent a statement to Fox News addressing the situation, saying, “We want everyone who walks into Panda Express to feel welcome and treated with respect. We have been reviewing the details and understand the situation was handled and addressed at the restaurant level. We’ve reinforced to all our associates the importance of delivering a consistent, welcoming experience for every guest.”
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Many in the comment section of the video clip shared on X are calling for a boycott of Panda Express or stated they themselves would no longer be purchasing food there. “Damn and I liked Panda Express. Well I guess I’ll just go to the McDonalds down the road from now on,” a user wrote. Another individual suggested all companies be forthright with their political leanings.
“It is nice to find out about stores that feel this way, in fact I would encourage all stores to post their political stance on or around their door – it helps me – I would never purchase anything from them again if they feel my money is tainted because of my voting choices,” the person commented. A third said, “I often see MAGA complaining of this treatment, yet continue to patronize these businesses, like Ben and Jerry’s and such. Do more than just complain on social media and stop spending your money there, it is more efficient.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video