In-N-Out Donated Thousands of Dollars to the GOP, and I've Never Been More Insulted By a Burger In My Life

Have you ever felt betrayed?

In-N-Out Burgers—beloved fast food chain that Californians feel compelled to defend even if they don’t like it all that much—donated $25,000 to the California Republican Party on Tuesday.

It’s worth noting that the business is based in Irvine, nestled in California’s 45th district where a competitive mid-term election battle is expected between Republican incumbent Congresswoman Mimi Walters and Democrat Katie Porter this November. I guess we know who In-N-Out is rooting for!

Journalist Gabe Schneider spotted the public filing on Wednesday and posted it on Twitter, along with the following one-liner: “In-N-Out added a new item to their secret menu.”

As a Los Angeles native, I feel hurt!

Is In-N-Out the best fast food burger? No, of course not. Revoke my L.A. card all you want, but let’s be real about the hype: it’s hype. In-N-Out’s glowing reputation thrives on regional pride with a dash of exclusivity, and the sweet, simple Aesthetic™ of the burger, overflowing portions of fries, and retro white and red interiors are primo for Instagram. But when you reckon with In-N-Out’s affordability, taste, and service? It rules; it’s the best drive-thru burger around and well worth the wait in a long line that spills out onto major thoroughfares at rush hour. Plus, In-N-Out is known to treat their employees well; the pay and benefits are decent as far as fast-food joints go; their Glassdoor is poppin’.

But as someone who knew that In-N-Out hid bible scriptures on their soda cups and burger wrappers, I admittedly feel like Boo Boo the fool. That reeks of GOP.

LA Magazine noted that this is not the first time In-N-Out decided to betray my fragile, bleeding heart:

It’s certainly not the first In-N-Out Republican contribution. The fast food chain has a long history of donating to political causes. In 2017 and 2016, the company donated $30,000 per year to the California GOP for general party expenses.

The article goes on to note that In-N-Out has also contributed thousands of dollars to Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy, a pro-business PAC “founded by David Townsend, a political operative who identifies as a centrist Democrat.” But that doesn’t make me feel better, you guys!

Eric Bauman, chair of the California Democratic Party, tweeted to encourage fellow Californians to boycott In-N-Out:

But it’s unclear how successful this campaign will be. When it comes to fast food, people largely seem unbothered by the politics behind the scenes as long as they can still get a cheap meal, fast. Hell, look at Chick-fil-A.

It’s almost as if… there’s no such thing as ethical consumption or something. Wild.

I no longer trust myself to express my disdain responsibly, so here’s a series of photos of Britney Spears at an In-N-Out drive-thru in 2003 to convey my emotions for me..