At a time when she can hardly afford any, another bit of bad PR appears to have struck the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris.
Perhaps making matters even worse?
The latest bad bit of chatter to afflict the de facto Democratic standard bearer comes from key battleground state Pennsylvania.
Harris, whose campaign has already dealt with allegations of “stolen valor” and questions about her media availability in her short time at the top of the ticket, spent her Sunday touring the Keystone State in hopes of swaying some on-the-fence voters to the blue side.
If the emerging narrative is anything to go by, Harris not only failed to sway anyone — she may have shoved potential voters to the GOP.
First, Trib Live reporter Ryan Deto noted that Harris’ campaign was greeted by a contingent of former President Donald Trump supporters while visiting a local eatery, Primanti Bros.
Harris-Walz last stop is Primanti Bros in Moon, where they are being greeted by a group of Trump supporters pic.twitter.com/wPwAxMS0th
— Ryan Deto (@RyanDeto) August 18, 2024
Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, were apparently greeted by a small fleet of pro-Trump supporters.
Are Democrats manufacturing the enthusiasm around Kamala Harris?
Yes: 100% (85 Votes)
No: 0% (0 Votes)
That, in and of itself, is hardly newsworthy given just how close Trump came to winning Pennsylvania in 2020.
(Biden won Pennsylvania by just over a percent.)
More eyebrows were raised, however, when other local X users began posting further alleged context to Deto’s photo.
The Harris/Waltz campaign kicked out patrons at @primantibros at 4PM to bring in staged “customers” for Kamala’s visit tonight. Trump supporters gathered next door to properly welcome their fake campaign to Allegheny County! @TrumpWarRoom pic.twitter.com/ohWj6kMJ8h
— Joshua Herman (@Joshuakherman) August 18, 2024
“The Harris/Waltz campaign kicked out patrons at @primantibros at 4PM to bring in staged ‘customers’ for Kamala’s visit tonight,” one X user posted. “Trump supporters gathered next door to properly welcome their fake campaign to Allegheny County.”
Bringing in staged or paid actors to convey a bustling, pro-Harris crowd would seem duplicitous, but the Harris campaign has shown no hesitance when it comes to dubious or deceptive tactics.
Another X user went so far as to accuse the Harris campaign of not just kicking out Trump supporters, but other families simply looking to enjoy a Sunday meal, as well.
Families were kicked out of a local Primanti’s in Pittsburgh for “Can’t Win”Kamala to have a photo shoot.#TrumpForce #Pittsburgh #MAGA #TrumpVance2024 pic.twitter.com/ChBBz1JmPs
— Zach (@hoag_zach) August 18, 2024
“Families were kicked out of a local Primanti’s in Pittsburgh for ‘Can’t Win’ Kamala to have a photo shoot,” the X user claimed.
That last video also includes the clearest audio yet of angry people there.
“You are terrible people,” one angry person can be overheard saying.
Others in the video outright claim that “paid actors” had replaced them, before pointing to a line of vans driving by and noting, “There’s all the paid actors.”
The Harris campaign has not publicly commented on the validity of the claims that patrons were kicked out of local Pittsburgh restaurants in favor of paid or staged actors.
