The news that White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was booted out of a Lexington, Virginia restaurant because of her work for President Trump was met with indignation from many, including a Fox News panel headed up by Neil Cavuto.
Panelist and “Gutfeld” co-host Katherine Timpf called the move “immature and really stupid,” adding that while one can certainly disagree with issues and policies, “you’re not actually accomplishing anything by kicking someone out of a restaurant–you’re just being petty.” (RELATED: Restaurant Owner Kicks Out Sarah Sanders)
Commentator Harlan Hill said the incident was “another example of how intolerant we’ve become as a society.”
“If there’s somebody at the table with a different opinion to your own, not only do you not want to engage in a conversation with them, you want to shut them down,” Hill said.
Cathy Areu called the Red Hen’s decision “just wrong,” noting that Sanders was “supporting the restaurant and the restaurant threw her out.”
WATCH:
The restaurant also drew criticism on Twitter, including Sanders’ father, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, calling the decision “bigotry.”
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” https://t.co/rHEVdcQwwh
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 23, 2018
The #RedHen owes @PressSec an apology for bad manners, as #Time owes @realDonaldTrump one for its phony cover. Neither action helps the cause of civility among citizens or compassionate treatment of migrant #BorderChildren
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) June 23, 2018
How ridiculous.
That restaurant owner should be ashamed of herself. https://t.co/5Romux3DBW— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 23, 2018
I guess we’re heading into an America with Democrat-only restaurants, which will lead to Republican-only restaurants. Do the fools who threw Sarah out, and the people who cheer them on, really want us to be that kind of country? https://t.co/n7RxHHoYF3
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) June 23, 2018
I don’t like Sarah Sanders getting kicked out of a restaurant. But I also don’t like gays being denied pastries. Let @PressSec dine. Let gays have cake. Civility isn’t difficult. We can do this, America! Maybe. Possibly. (Sigh) Probably not.
— Jarrett Bellini (@JarrettBellini) June 23, 2018
I’m in awe of @PressSec she has taken the kind of abuse nobody even has in that job…sadly so-called champions of women have remained silent- some have been complicit https://t.co/M2iS9DBZvQ
— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) June 23, 2018
Others, however, applauded the Red Hen.
A small business owner makes a decision that she doesn’t want a liar who contributes to the hate in this country to dine at her establishment and Sarah from her official White House account attacks her. Punching down is what the White House does.
Please support the Red Hen. https://t.co/TflhgHJhWk
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) June 23, 2018
Good. Now hopefully you can sympathize with the LGBT Americans who your Administration argued in court could be refused service simply for being gay.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) June 23, 2018
I guess if bakers don’t have to make cakes for gays, then restaurants don’t have to make meals for fascist propagandists. https://t.co/eXkQ4DSH4Z
— Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) June 23, 2018