White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has claimed that the owner of Red Hen restaurant in Lexington “kicked her out”. She took to Twitter to speak about the Virginia restaurant that refused to serve her because she works for United States President, Donald Trump.
Sanders, after being served for a total of two minutes was kicked out by the owner along with seven of her other family members, a waiter at the restaurant told the media.
Sanders took to Twitter to confirm the news, saying people should be treated with respect.
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
Her Twitter post has been active since the time she posted her complain online.
Many have called her out for using her position to bad mouth an independent business by telling only her side of the story.
She doesn’t have a right to do so from her WORK account
— Mike Nelson (@themikecnelson) June 23, 2018
You are breaking the law right now, Sarah.
You are forbidden to use your government position – including your @PressSec account – to target a private business.
Quit being a criminal.#TrumpRussia
— Don Sowell (@_Diamond_Jim_) June 24, 2018
Why are you using your official US Government account to make personal tweets? This is an abuse of official government property. Use your personal account since this is a private matter between you and Red Hen and not official business
— Bob Schneider (@Bobndc) June 24, 2018
The owner of the restaurant, Red Hen, Stephanie Wilkinson, has also spoken to the national media and informed that it was a joint decision between the owner (her) and the staff. “Tell me what you want me to do. I can ask her to leave,” Wilkinson told her staff, she said. “They said ‘yes.’ ”
“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson said. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals,” she told the media in an interview.
There was no confrontation as she asked Saunders to step out and told her politely to leave. The problem started when, Red Hen waiter Jaike Foley-Schultz’s Facebook post: “I just served Sarah huckabee sanders for a total of 2 minutes before my owner asked her to leave.”
Since Sander’s post, the restaurant has been besieged by Trump supporters who have been stalking the restaurant by booing from their cars, calling up to make fake reservations and logging on to Yell and rating the restaurant poorly despite the fact that they have not even walked in it ever. The restaurant had to cancel all reservations and close down till the ruckus died.
Former Governor of Arkansas and Sander’s father Mike Huckabee however, backed Sarah by calling the restaurant’s action biased.
“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,” Huckabee tweeted.
Meanwhile, Wilkinson has no regrets about her decision. “I would have done the same thing again,” she said “We just felt there are moments in time when people need to live their convictions. This appeared to be one.”