Trump Reacts After Sarah Huckabee Sanders Asked to Leave Arkansas Restaurant
President Donald Trump expressed surprise and disappointment after Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant in Little Rock, her home state. Speaking to reporters en route to Mar-a-Lago, Trump described the incident as “too bad,” called Sanders “a good woman,” and questioned the location of the event. He highlighted his strong support in Arkansas and expressed confidence that she would be “just fine.”
The incident occurred last week at The Croissanterie restaurant, where Sanders was having lunch with two other mothers, accompanied by her Arkansas State Police Executive Protection Detail. According to a statement from Sanders’s office and her post on X, the group had been seated for over an hour and 15 minutes, had finished eating, paid the bill, and left a tip when the owner approached a member of her security team. The owner reportedly stated that Sanders’s presence made employees feel threatened and uncomfortable due to her political views, and asked the group to leave.
As Sanders and her party exited, some accounts indicate that staff shouted at her and made rude gestures, including one report of a middle finger being displayed.
The restaurant’s owners later released a statement defending their actions, saying they chose to address the situation to support staff who felt uncomfortable, and noted concerns raised by employees and other diners about the governor’s continued presence.
This event has reignited discussions about politics in everyday public spaces, including whether elected officials should encounter such treatment off-duty and the rights of business owners to prioritize their workplace environment and values. Critics argue that political disagreements shouldn’t lead to personal confrontations in neutral settings like restaurants, while others uphold private businesses’ discretion in such matters.
The episode echoes a similar 2018 incident when Sanders, then White House press secretary, was asked to leave The Red Hen restaurant in Virginia over her association with the Trump administration.
Despite the controversy, Trump voiced strong support for Sanders, reaffirming his belief in her resilience and standing. Sanders emphasized Arkansas’s reputation for hospitality, noting that while this restaurant fell short of that standard, her administration remains focused on uplifting residents.
