Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has spoken out about an incident at a Little Rock restaurant where she says she was asked to leave due to her political views.
The incident, which took place at The Croissanterie, has sparked debate over political tensions in public spaces and how businesses respond to political figures.
The Incident at The Croissanterie
On Friday, March 13, 2024, Governor Sanders visited The Croissanterie restaurant with her security detail and two other individuals for a lunch outing. According to Sanders’s office, she and her party were seated at two separate tables and had finished their meal when the restaurant’s owner approached a member of her security team.
The owner reportedly expressed that Sanders’s presence made some employees feel uncomfortable and asked her to leave.
The governor and her party complied with the request and exited the restaurant. As they were leaving, an individual from the restaurant staff reportedly made a crude hand gesture toward Sanders.
Despite this, Sanders’s office confirmed that there were no physical altercations and that the group left without further incident.
Restaurant’s Explanation and Response
The Croissanterie restaurant later issued a statement, explaining their decision to ask the governor to leave. The restaurant claimed they were initially unsure how to respond when they learned Sanders was dining there.
However, as her security detail became more noticeable, employees and guests expressed discomfort with the situation. The restaurant stated that they made the decision to prioritize the comfort of their staff and customers, but they emphasized that no one expressed feeling directly threatened.
“We do not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened,” the restaurant’s statement said, adding that they reviewed security footage of the incident to confirm that the message asking Sanders to leave was communicated quietly.
The restaurant also clarified that the inappropriate hand gesture made toward Sanders came from a customer, not an employee, and that the matter had been addressed.
Governor Sanders’s Response
In a statement, Governor Sanders responded to the incident by highlighting the lack of hospitality she experienced, which she said did not meet the standards of Arkansas.
She stated, “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.”
This incident mirrors a similar event that occurred in 2018, when Sanders was serving as Press Secretary under President Donald Trump.
At that time, she was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Virginia due to the owner’s opposition to her political position. Sanders tweeted about the experience, emphasizing that her actions were respectful despite the hostility she faced.
Broader Context and Public Reactions
This latest incident highlights the growing political divisions in the U.S., particularly regarding how public figures, especially those in the political sphere, are treated in public spaces.
Other Republican figures, such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Ted Cruz, and former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, have also faced similar confrontations in recent years.
