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The situation only became more chaotic once several employees allegedly followed them outside and demanded they stop filming.
The problem with that demand? The men were standing on public property, where filming is fully protected under the law.
When officers from the Lakewood Police Department arrived, they reportedly spoke with the streamers and determined they had committed no crime. Officers also informed restaurant staff that any employee misconduct would need to be addressed internally by management.
Witnesses said the woman who made the 911 call became emotional and walked back inside the restaurant after officers clarified the situation.
The incident exploded online after details spread across conservative media and social platforms, with many critics accusing the restaurant employees of weaponizing law enforcement over political disagreement.
Corporate officials at Panda Express attempted to contain the fallout with a carefully worded statement that many conservatives viewed as little more than damage control.
“We want everyone who walks into Panda Express to feel welcome and treated with respect,” a company spokesperson said.
The company added that the incident had been “reviewed” and “addressed at the restaurant level,” while emphasizing that employees had been reminded about the importance of providing “a consistent, welcoming experience for every guest.”
But critics immediately noticed what the company did not address.
There was no acknowledgment of the allegedly false 911 claim. No explanation for why employees confronted customers on a public sidewalk. And no clarification about why a thumbs-up gesture from a paying customer justified involving police in the first place.
For many conservatives, the incident felt painfully familiar.
Over the last several years, a growing number of politically charged confrontations involving Trump supporters have gone viral nationwide.
Back in 2018, then-White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders was kicked out of The Red Hen restaurant in Virginia because of her ties to the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, workers at a Smoothie King location in Michigan were reportedly fired after allegedly telling a customer wearing Trump apparel that they would not serve supporters of the former president.
Following President Donald Trump’s first inauguration, a Manhattan bar also made headlines after ejecting a customer over a MAGA hat. Courts later ruled that political affiliation was not a protected category under New York discrimination law.
Critics argue these incidents reveal a disturbing pattern.
A conservative customer enters a business.
An employee decides personal politics matter more than professional conduct.
The confrontation escalates.
Police are called or service is denied.
Then corporate leadership releases a vague statement about inclusivity and moves on without meaningful accountability.
Sims blasted the restaurant’s response and called the incident “blatant political discrimination.”
He argued that employees who falsely report customers to police should face serious consequences rather than vague internal discipline hidden behind corporate public relations language.
And many Americans watching the incident unfold appear to agree.
In Washington state, political affiliation is not protected in public accommodation law, meaning Sims may have little legal recourse despite police reportedly confirming he violated no laws.
That reality has only intensified frustration among conservatives who believe they are increasingly being singled out for public humiliation, denied service, or treated as threats simply for openly supporting Trump.
The most striking detail in the entire incident may be the simplest one of all.
Police arrived at the scene.
They reportedly confirmed the customer had done nothing wrong.
And yet the employees who triggered the confrontation remain protected behind carefully crafted corporate statements about “welcoming experiences.”
For critics, that is not accountability.
It is corporate America refusing to admit what everyone already saw happen.
