More than a month after an Instagram controversy rocked Mar Vista’s food scene, the backlash against Little Fatty and Fatty Mart shows no sign of fading. What started with a “like” on a Trump post has turned into an ongoing referendum on the political identity of chef-owner David Kuo and a reflection of how fiercely the Westside reacts to anything even resembling support for the president or Republican Party.
The firestorm began in June, when a Reddit user noticed that Fatty Mart’s Instagram account had liked a campaign post from Donald Trump. The image, which read “The greatest comeback in American history STARTS NOW,” triggered swift condemnation. Accusations flew, boycott threats circulated, and commenters questioned whether Kuo was quietly harboring MAGA sympathies.
Kuo responded almost immediately. He said the account had been hacked and that neither he nor his team supported Trump. “To be clear: Fatty Mart does not support Donald Trump or any messaging that goes against inclusion, equity, and community,” the business wrote on Instagram. Kuo told Mar Vista Voice the entire episode felt personal and painful. “That’s not what I stand for,” he said. “We don’t just say things—we do things.”
Despite that statement, Reddit users remained skeptical. Then in July, a second post appeared. This time, someone claimed that Fatty Mart was playing Newsmax, a hard-right cable network often seen as a megaphone for conspiracy theories and Trump loyalists. The user didn’t include a photo or video, but that didn’t stop the speculation from reigniting. For some, it was confirmation that Kuo’s explanation had always been a smokescreen.
But while the Reddit comment section is still buzzing, the facts tell a more complicated story. There is no public record of Kuo making political donations to any party or candidate. There is no evidence he has ever endorsed a Republican or supported Trump’s platform. What we do have is a paper trail with years of community involvement and public statements that paint a picture very different from the one being pushed online.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kuo partnered with Nourish L.A. to deliver free meals to residents struggling with food insecurity. He purchased a facility to build an urban farm, with the goal of teaching local children about sustainability and growing fresh ingredients for the neighborhood. Fatty Mart was never just a market, but was designed as a creative gathering space, spotlighting multicultural food vendors, small businesses, and independent brands that rarely get shelf space in larger stores.
Kuo’s restaurants have hosted events with international cookbook authors, community flea markets, and educational cooking classes. He’s collaborated with ACE NextGen, a network focused on uplifting Asian American entrepreneurs. And he has never used his platform to host political fundraisers or rallies. Instead, he has invested time and money into neighborhood events centered on food, culture, and shared connection.
Perhaps most telling is what he said about the ICE raids that swept through Los Angeles earlier this summer. In a conversation with this publication, Kuo called the enforcement actions unconstitutional and terrifying. “They’re just arresting people at bus stops with masks on, calling it law enforcement,” he said. “What is their job? Just grabbing people and figuring it out later? That’s the scariest thing ever.”
In a city where Trump’s policies have directly harmed immigrant communities, undermined LGBTQ+ protections, and fueled racist rhetoric, even a single social media “like” tied to his name is enough to raise alarms. And rightly so. The Westside’s reflex to push back against any hint of Trumpism is not only justified—it is necessary. Fascism does not announce itself with a press release, but creeps in through complacency, normalization, and silence. Communities like ours are right to stay alert.
On the other hand, not all smoke signals mean there’s a fire. If we’re going to call out real threats, we must also be clear-eyed about who is actually doing the work, and who is standing in the way of progress by supporting what Trump stands for, like criminalizing poverty, increasing surveillance, blocking safe streets and affordable housing, defunding public services, spreading racist rhetoric, protecting the rich, and further oppressing the poor. Kuo, by all accounts, may be one of the more progressive business owners in Mar Vista. If the goal is to identify restaurants or companies supporting the right wing, there are better targets. There are plenty of business owners and politicians here on the Westside who may be registered Democrats and wear their liberal bona fides on their sleeve, but whose core beliefs are actually more in line with Trump. There are landlords who donate to anti-tenant candidates and businesses that quietly oppose living wages or host actual political events for conservative candidates like our local Councilmember. These operations avoid the spotlight but continue shaping local policy in harmful ways. Calling out harm is necessary, but it’s only effective when grounded in truth. Otherwise, we risk letting the real offenders off the hook.