IHOP Hacked: Restaurant Chain Never Meant To Post Anti-Clinton Tweet


IHOP does not want to get involved with politics. The restaurant chain just wants to continue to do what it does best: taunting fans with images of their syrupy waffles and pancakes.

Over the weekend, the International House of Pancakes caused a stir on social media when it seemed like it was suggesting that its business does not support Hillary Clinton. IHOP now claims that their official Twitter account was hacked after a politically charged retweet involving a tweet from a user who goes by the handle @poojaslays about Hillary Clinton running a “major garbage campaign” on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Once IHOP’s 291,000 followers caught wind of the tweet, several of them flooded the social media account and exclaimed that they would never visit the restaurant again, reports HackRead.com. Some of the users even made screengrabs of the tweet and made it go viral on the social media site.

When IHOP’s social media team finally realized what had happened, they immediately selected the “Undo Retweet” option of the tweet and removed it from its Twitter account.

IHOP insists that it wants to bring people together, not further apart. [Image by Scott Olson/Getty Images]

IHOP made an effort to reach out to each and every one of the comments they received from angry customers on Sunday, Jan. 16. They apologized profusely and stated that they don’t get themselves involved in any politics. Also, IHOP also tweeted a statement stating that their account was hacked and they removed the questionable tweet.

“After a thorough investigation, we have confirmed that the IHOP Twitter account was hacked this morning. The retweeted post in question was immediately removed, and we have taken the necessary steps to ensure the security and integrity of our social media accounts. We appreciate our fans bringing this to our attention and recognizing that this is not normal content shared by IHOP.”

As for that user, she took to her own Twitter account to remark that she has received plenty of “hate” from IHOP lovers and Clinton supporters. But, that won’t change her mind from sharing her political views on social media. It’s not clear if that user follows IHOP or if she works for the company. It’s also not clear how the original tweet was in the eyes of IHOP’s social media team in the first place.

Some customers are not buying IHOP’s apology and story, reports Observer.com. Many have pointed out how strange it is that an entire account has been “hacked” to simply retweet one off-key message. On the other hand, it could have been an accident. Some have speculated whether the person who runs the IHOP account accidentally signed in and meant to post it on his or her own personal Twitter account.

Even the user whose account was retweeted has also been mocking the incident.

However, IHOP insists that it’s all about uniting people, not dividing them, as they said in a separate statement released to a local NBC News affiliate.

“At the core of the IHOP brand is a desire to bring people together and a commitment to creating a warm and welcoming environment for guests and fans everywhere, both in our restaurants and online.”

Some have argued that the original tweet has a slight pro-Bernie Sanders message to it rather than a pro-Donald Trump stance. The official Twitter account for IHOP has gotten snarkier and sassier over the years, but choosing to share photos of its delicious food along with slang and popular phrases. The chain has been making an effort to rebrand itself on social media since its competitors like Denny’s and Burger King is often applauded for their witty posts.

The company’s social media account last made headlines when it displayed a photo of pancakes along with the caption, “Flat but has a GREAT personality,” — a nod to women’s breasts — which has sparked outrage among many, reports Mediate.com.

[Featured Image by Scott Olson/Getty Images]

Share this article: IHOP Hacked: Restaurant Chain Never Meant To Post Anti-Clinton Tweet
More from Inquisitr