PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — JD Vance went to Pat’s King of Steaks on Monday to eat a cheesesteak after a Campaign stop in North Philadelphiabut he wanted to know why the staple food in South Philadelphia didn’t include Swiss cheese.
“I don’t like Swiss cheese either,” the Republican vice presidential candidate said through the window to several employees at the cheesesteak shop on the corner of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue. “But everyone says it’s ‘offensive.’ Why do you hate it so much? What kind of story is that?”
A Pat’s Vance employee is heard responding, “We don’t hate it, we just don’t use it.”
Vance ended up ordering a “Whiz Wit,” a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and fried onions. He then signed autographs for people waiting in line at Pat’s and took a photo with some of the employees.
Beginning of the year Pat’s has revised its menu and now offers breakfast sandwiches and chicken cheesesteaks, but good luck trying to get Swiss cheese on your cheesesteak.
It is typical for politicians to visit The two most famous cheesesteak shops in Philadelphia – Pat’s or Geno’s – during the election campaign.
In the 2004 presidential election, the then Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry was in Philadelphia and ordered his cheesesteak with Swiss cheese instead of Cheez Whiz, which did not end well.
“Don’t come to Philadelphia and try to do us a favor and then order Swiss cheese, nobody does that in Philadelphia,” said Ed Rendell, the former governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Philadelphia, in 2016.
Last year, former President Donald Trump, Vance’s running mate in the 2024 election, stopped by Pat’s. Earlier this year, Trump Tony and Nick in South Phillythe original location of Tony Luke’s, in front of a Rally at Temple University in North Philadelphia.
Economic and energy issues were the focus of Vance’s visit to Philadelphia on Monday. In his speech, Vance highlighted the campaign’s economic plan, which includes “stopping reckless spending” and “unleashing American energy.”
“We believe that Pennsylvania workers and families will benefit as we make more products in America,” Vance said.
