Huckabee Sanders says she was asked to leave restaurant because employees felt ‘threatened’

by Sarah Davis

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) said she was asked to leave a Little Rock restaurant because its employees were “threatened” during a recent dining excursion.

“Last week I was having lunch with two other moms at a restaurant when the owner approached a member of the State Police Executive Protection Detail and said my presence made their employees feel threatened and told us to leave,” the governor posted Thursday on social platform X.

“Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and while that restaurant didn’t meet that standard, my administration will continue to focus on lifting Arkansans up, not tearing others down,” she continued.

The Croissanterie in Little Rock offered its side of the story in a statement published by local media outlet THV11 on Wednesday, saying employees and other diners “raised questions” about the governor and her team remaining in the establishment.

“As business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences,” the restaurant said in the statement.

“Allowing her to stay risked being perceived as a lack of support for the community that makes up the majority of our team, as well as their families and friends,” the statement continued. “Conversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs. Ultimately, we made the decision to support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable.”

The restaurant added it does “not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened” and said its employees “quietly” approached the governor’s security detail twice with requests to leave and offered the team drinks for the road.

The governor’s group “departed without incident” after the second request, according to the statement. The restaurant noted that one customer made an “inappropriate hand gesture” as the governor left the premises and said this “matter has been addressed.”

“We regret being placed in this position and having to make a difficult decision,” the restaurant said. “However, we stand by our choice to support our employees and guests.”

This is not the first time the governor has been asked to leave a restaurant. In 2019, the co-owner of the Red Hen in Virginia said she was harassed after asking the then-White House press secretary to leave the establishment before her meal was served.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Stephanie Wilkinson cited the Trump administration’s immigration policies and said she “balked” at the thought of serving Huckabee Sanders, “whose actions in the service of our country we felt violated basic standards of humanity.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5792351-huckabee-sanders-restaurant-incident/