Here we go again.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, current Republican governor of Arkansas and White House press secretary during the first Trump administration, has once again found herself on the receiving end of intolerance from the left, this time at a croissant cafe near her children’s school. Sanders was apparently enjoying lunch last week at The Croissanterie in Little Rock alongside a group of fellow moms when she and her security were approached by staff and asked to leave “due to concerns that her presence was making employees feel threatened and uncomfortable due to her political views.”
When she stood to comply with the request – she and her party reportedly had already eaten their meal, paid their bill, and tipped the staff at this point – an individual standing with the cafe staff shouted at the group and made an obscene hand gesture in their direction.
Gov. Sanders took to social media Thursday to tell her side of the story, saying the restaurant had not met the “warm hospitality” standard usually found in her state.
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.
Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and… https://t.co/oYtZQNkX8o
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 19, 2026
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.
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.
The Croissanterie has also issued a statement saying they were “surprised and uncertain how best to respond” when the governor and her mom friends entered the establishment. “By the time we entered the dining room, she was already seated and eating. At that point, we chose not to interrupt, expecting that the party would complete their meal and depart without issue,” the statement continued.
“As business owners and members of this community, we recognized that any course of action carried consequences. 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. Conversely, asking her to leave could be viewed as denying service based on differing beliefs.”
The establishment says they “ultimately made the decision” to “support our employees and guests who expressed they were uncomfortable,” saying, “we do not recall any statements indicating that anyone felt threatened.” This “support,” apparently, refers to gay staff members.
SEE ALSO: Anti-Religion Group Comes for Sarah Huckabee Sanders Over Christmas, but She’s Not Having It
The Sarah Sanders and the Red Hen Restaurant Story Takes Turn Directly Where You Thought It Would
Because actions have consequences, the unapologetic restaurant is now getting hammered on review sites, including from diners who were present for the distasteful interaction with Sanders’ party.
They are getting reckt on Yelp:https://t.co/karX7Ao5KZ pic.twitter.com/H6fOyu8Jrq
— Mr Wizard (@The_Mr_Wizard) March 19, 2026
This is not the first time Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been treated abysmally by those aligned with the “party of tolerance.” Back in 2018, while she still served as President Trump’s chief spokesperson, Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, because, in the words of the owner, “horror” was being felt inside the tiny establishment.
“In our tiny 26-seat restaurant, the horror felt simultaneously immediate and far away,” wrote unapologetic Red Hen owner Stephanie Wilkinson one year after the incident. “Faced with the prospect of serving a fine meal to a person whose actions in the service of our country we felt violated basic standards of humanity, we balked. We couldn’t do it.”
Sanders politely left the restaurant; she later left the administration, returned to Arkansas, and was elected governor in 2022. The Red Hen permanently closed in 2023.
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