JD Vance orders cheesesteak at Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia, questions lack of Swiss cheese

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) -- JD Vance went to Pat's King of Steaks on Monday for a cheesesteak following a campaign stop in North Philly, but he wanted to know why the South Philadelphia staple didn't have Swiss cheese.

"I don't like Swiss cheese, either," the Republican vice presidential nominee said through the window to several employees at the cheesesteak shop at 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue. "But everyone says it's 'insulting.' Why do you guys hate it so much? What's the story?"

A Pat's employee can be heard replying to Vance saying: "We don't hate it, we just don't use it."

Vance ended up ordering a "whiz wit," aka a cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz and fried onions. He then signed some autographs for people lined up around Pat's and took a photo with some employees.

Earlier this year, Pat's revamped its menu and now offers breakfast sandwiches and chicken cheesesteaks, but good luck getting Swiss cheese on your cheesesteak.

It's typical that politicians will make a visit to Philadelphia's two most famous cheesesteak shops -- Pat's or Geno's -- while on the campaign trail.

During the 2004 presidential election, then-Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry was in Philadelphia and asked for his cheesesteak with Swiss cheese instead of Cheez Whiz, which didn't end well.

"Don't come into Philadelphia and try to cater favor with us and then order Swiss cheese, which no one does in Philadelphia," Ed Rendell, the former Pennsylvania governor and Philadelphia mayor, said in 2016.

Last year, former President Donald Trump, Vance's running mate in the 2024 election, stopped by Pat's. Earlier this year, Trump went to Tony and Nick's in South Philly, the original location of Tony Luke's, ahead of a rally at Temple University in North Philly.

Vance's visit to Philadelphia on Monday focused on economic and energy issues. During his speech, Vance highlighted the campaign's economic plan, which includes "stopping reckless spending" and "unleashing American energy."

"We believe that if we make more stuff in America, Pennsylvania workers, Pennsylvania families are going to benefit," Vance said.