When you’re White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, or in some cases even a paid dinner. Sanders was recently asked to leave a restaurant, the Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia, some 200 miles outside of Washington D.C. Apparently, the owner and her staff took issue with Sanders’ politics and role at the White House.
The Red Hen’s owner, Stephanie Wilkinson apparently told Sanders that “the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation.” According to Wilkinson, Sanders didn’t meet those criteria, so she asked the Secretary to hit the road. Sanders agreed to leave without making a fuss, and the restaurant comped the food that was already ordered and consumed.
Sanders responded to 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. 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
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) June 23, 2018
Sanders’ run-in follows on the heels of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen being heckled at a Mexican restaurant. Apparently, protesters began to yell “Shame!” at Nielsen, echoing the iconic scene in Game of Thrones where hecklers lambaste antagonist Cersei Lannister as she is led through the streets naked.
Many have criticized Nielsen for her dinning choice. She was eating at a Mexican restaurant. Meanwhile, Border Patrol and other authorities have come under fire for their zero-tolerance policy when arresting immigrants, which sometimes results in families with children being split up. Most undocumented migrants come from Latin America. For the protesters, the irony of Nielson dining at a Latin American restaurant while her agency was rounding up undocumented Latin American migrants was simply too much.
Meanwhile, Trump staffers are apparently struggling to land dates. Politico ran a piece interviewing 30-plus young staffers and found that many are facing challenges integrating into DC’s social life. Apparently, many staff members are skipping DC’s vibrant nightlife, choosing instead to hide away in luxury apartments tucked in around the White House.
It’s not hard to figure out why. Trump is deeply unpopular in DC, having secured just 4 percent of the vote during the election. Most of DC’s bars are filled to the brim with college students from the generally liberal DC universities, staffers from liberal think tanks, and similar minds. Rightly or wrongly, this crowd isn’t going to be overly receptive to the staffers and their political views.
It’s not just glares and snide remarks either. Some young Trump staffers report being yelled at and harassed while walking to and from work. When it comes to dating, Trump supporters are often told to swipe left on Tinder, meaning “don’t even try.”
As for not serving people, if I managed a business I’d serve any patron who was polite, respectful, and otherwise being a good customer. I don’t agree with many of Sanders’ actions and words but, regardless, I’d set politics aside and serve her. I also feel, however, that businesses should serve LGBT customers and everyone else. Many Americans disagree with me on that. Regardless, if businesses can turn away LGBT customers, then they should be able to turn away public officials they disagree with. Even if I don’t agree with it, their choice is their choice.
As for dating, well that’s a deeply personal decision.
