Eric Bauman, chair of the California Democratic Party, called for a boycott Thursday of the iconic West Coast eatery In-N-Out Burger after The Los Angeles Times reported that the chain had donated $25,000 to the California Republican Party.
Et tu In-N-Out? Tens of thousands of dollars donated to the California Republican Party... it’s time to #BoycottInNOut - let Trump and his cronies support these creeps... perhaps animal style!https://t.co/9zkdFaG5CJ
— EricBauman (@EricBauman) August 30, 2018
Reporter Gabe Schneider first pointed out the donation in a tweet Wednesday.
In-N-Out added a new item to their secret menu. https://t.co/VtaCOuiNRp pic.twitter.com/tCRYqFGDEB
— Gabe Schneider ?? (@gabemschneider) August 29, 2018
However, The Los Angeles Times also points out that In-N-Out Burger has given to Democratic groups.
It gave “several thousand dollars to a PAC known as Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy. That group is as pro-business as the name implies, which makes sense for a major employer, but, as the Sacramento Bee reported in 2014, it was founded by David Townsend, a political operative who identifies as a centrist Democrat.”
The family-owned fast food chain features bible verses on their food packaging and, while their political donations may not please Democrats, In-N-Out is frequently praised for paying their employees well over the minimum wage and providing phenomenal benefits.
“In-N-Out is just eons above everybody else,” Saru Jayaraman, who leads the Food Labor Research Center at U.C. Berkeley told the California Sun. “On wages and benefits, they really are the best large chain.”
The idea of boycotting In-N-Out over the political contribution got a mixed reception on Twitter.
Sorry I will never #BoycottInNOut I dont care who they donate to. Chick Fill A sucks so I dont care but I wont go along with this one.
— Dragonfly?On?Deck (@IDoTheThinking) August 30, 2018
Of course they like the CA GOP, they proselytize on all their food with hidden bible versus. I can live with that. https://t.co/gycCs12Xlf
I love In and Out hamburgers more then any political cause you could come up with #Inandout
— CJ LeDuck (@csledoux) August 30, 2018
People should #BoycottInNOut because it's overrated, not because it supports Republicans, which it has since, oh, forever.
— GustavoArellano (@GustavoArellano) August 30, 2018
@innoutburger This really bums me out because I’m a regular customer... BUT I cannot spent money with a company that supports the current GOP! #BoycottInNOut https://t.co/XlSdNaGG3D
— Danno (@DannoCue) August 30, 2018
Do just to be clear Eric...you are saying we as Californians should have a list of companies that donate to political parties...and those that donate to a party other than our own should be #Boycotted ? Wouldn't that be detrimental to our own economy? Not no mention #UnAmerican
— Luis Alvarado (@latinostrategy) August 30, 2018
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