White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she and seven members of her family were kicked out of The Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia on Friday night.
TMZ first reported that the restaurant's owner kicked out Sanders and her family out of "moral conviction."
A waiter posted on Facebook that Sanders was in the restaurant for “a total of two minutes” before being asked to leave. The post has since been deleted.
.@PressSec got kicked out of the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va tonight. Apparently the owner didn’t want to serve her and her party out of moral conviction. pic.twitter.com/jr3bfiY3XY
— Brennan Gilmore (@brennanmgilmore) June 23, 2018
Sanders confirmed the incident on Twitter.
"Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left," Sanders tweeted Saturday. "Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so."
Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left. Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) June 23, 2018
Sanders’ father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, tweeted his support, saying it was an act of “bigotry.”
Bigotry. On the menu at Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington VA. Or you can ask for the “Hate Plate”. And appetizers are “small plates for small minds” https://t.co/rHEVdcQwwh
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 23, 2018
The Red Hen's Facebook and Yelp pages were bombarded with reviews from people from both sides.
While some praised the restaurant, many others said the owner was being “intolerant.”
Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings said that Sanders should have been served, Politico reported.
"I think, as far as the restaurant incident, I think the restaurant owner should have served her," Cummings told Politico. "I really do. But, this tone is horrible. But again I think President Trump has created this."
President Trump did comment on the situation via Twitter Monday morning supporting Sanders, and focusing on the location itself, comparing its outside appearance to what happens on the inside.
The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2018
This comes after Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen left a Washington, D.C. Mexican restaurant after protesters confronted her at her table -- with the blessing of the manager.
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