Woke Panda Express staff accused of calling cops on customer for wearing a MAGA hat

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:11, 21 May 2026 | Updated: 00:14, 21 May 2026 A conservative vlogger claimed that Panda Express employees kicked him out of a Washington state restaurant after wearing a MAGA hat.  Chris Sims was at the popular fast food chain in Lakewood on May 10 when he said a cook inside stared him out after Sims gave him a thumbs up.  In a post to his X profile calling out the restaurant, Sims said: 'Panda Express kicked out Danny Rebel and myself for simply for 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.  'I asked if there was an issue and the cook said 'your Hat' so I asked if he supported it. They proceeded to call the police, and falsely say we were refusing to leave.  'I left the store and stood on the side walk 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.' '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.' Sims started recording after he was allegedly asked to leave the restaurant, with his footage showing two of the workers outside addressing him and Rebel. Panda Express kicked out @DannyRebel333 and Myself out for Simply for 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.I asked if there was an issue and the cook said “You’re Hat” so I asked if he supported… pic.twitter.com/AMILi6yxe9 Chris Sims was at the popular fast food chain in Lakewood on May 10 when he said a cook inside stared him out after Sims gave him a thumbs up Sims started recording after he was allegedly asked to leave the restaurant, with his footage showing two of the workers outside addressing him and Rebel One of the workers said: 'Why did you get so angry at me looking at you?', to which he responded: 'I was just curious, I gave you a thumbs up.' 'The reason we were staring at you', one of the workers said to him before the other tapped him on the arm and the two walked back inside.  For the next ten minutes Sims recorded outside of the store addressing those on his livestream, with police eventually arriving on the scene.  He added: 'We're going to take off now, seems like everything deescalated. We are out of here now.' As they get back in their vehicle, a police officer approached them and said that the restaurant asked them to leave and they had the right to do so. 'They followed me out, they came out and said I had to leave', the officer then tells him again that businesses are allowed to ask people to leave before the clip ends. In a statement to Fox News Digital, a Panda Restaurant Group said: '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.' For the next ten minutes Sims recorded outside of the store addressing those on his livestream, with police eventually arriving on the scene Sims, pictured here, described the interaction as 'blatant political discrimination' Lakewood Police Department also confirmed that they responded to the restaurant, saying they spoke with all parties and nobody was in the wrong.  Since Sims shared the footage to his X profile, his post has been filled with comments from those angry over the restaurant staff and some critical of Sims for his actions.  One person posted: 'So basically, two weirdos go into Panda Express to get attention, they get some attention but nothing actually is said, and then they start filming the employees which is probably what got the store to ask them to leave.' Another said: 'A normal person does not film when they go into Panda Express. You were trying to provoke. They had every legal right to ask you to leave simply for filming in a private business without permission.' Others supported Sims and hit out at the chain, saying: 'Imagine what they are doing to the food of customers with differing political perspectives. Not sure anyone should feel safe eating at Panda Express.' Another commented: 'Absolutely unacceptable! Fire these employees. It’s not their business, they don’t get to do this.  'Why would I spend my hard earned money with you guys if this is how you would treat paying customers.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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