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Fortune
Fortune
Nino Paoli

‘Weaponization of a sandwich’ — Subway’s footlong is becoming an icon of resistance against Trump’s D.C. police takeover

Banksy-style posters of a protester throwing a sandwich on August 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
  • Subway has been involuntarily tossed into the debate surrounding President Donald Trump’s takeover of D.C. police, after a resident threw a footlong at a federal officer last week. Now images and merch of sandwiches have become resistance symbols. Experts tell Fortune the unlikely string of events is a case study in brand image management and crisis communication.

Subway was thrown—literally—into the spotlight after a D.C. resident and then-Justice Department employee hurled one of the sandwich chain’s footlongs at a federal officer, which became a viral moment this past week. Now, Subway may have to deal with something that’s grown beyond a single hoagie toss.

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