It’s the Red Hen all over again.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the governor of Arkansas and former White House press secretary, says she was having lunch with two mom friends at a restaurant called The Croissanterie in Little Rock when the owner kicked them out. Her presence at the restaurant, the owner told the governor, made the employees feel “threatened and uncomfortable” because of her political views. As they left, she was given the middle finger.
This is the second time Sanders has found herself in this exact situation. Back in 2018 when she was White House press secretary, it made national news when a small Virginia restaurant called the Red Hen told her she and her family to leave because she worked for Donald Trump. The incident won the owner of the restaurant profiles from liberal media like the Washington Post, which hailed the owner for “taking a stand” against Sanders.
That restaurant permanently closed in 2023.
For Sanders, it was more surprising to have it happen in her home state of Arkansas. She told The Daily Wire on Tuesday night that the only people to talk to her during her just over an hour meal at The Croissanterie came over to thank her for the work she was doing in the state. By the time they were booted, they had already eaten and paid.
When her security detail was informed that they were being asked to leave, she decided that they’d leave without making a scene. But then the group started shouting, “It’s time to leave,” and giving her the middle finger in front of other guests.
Sanders, who is up for reelection this year, is widely popular in Arkansas. She was elected in 2022 by nearly thirty percentage points, and is viewed positively by more than half of the state, polls show.
In a statement on the incident, Sanders says The Croissanterie doesn’t meet the proper “standard” for Arkansas.
“Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant certainly doesn’t meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down with discrimination and hate,” Sanders said.
The Croissanterie did not respond to a request for comment. After publication of this story, a group of employees at the restaurant posted on Facebook taking a shot at the governor. The post indicates
“Sarah Huckabee Sanders, no amount of evil you send our way can ever take our smiles away!!!” wrote Hickman, along with a picture of the staff. “I’m proud af to work here! I’m proud af to be gay and I’m proud af to be an Arkansan. My voice matters. Try again.”
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