Stop me if you’ve heard this story before.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the current Republican governor of Arkansas and former White House press secretary during Trump’s first term, has once again encountered intolerance from the left. This time, it happened at a croissant cafe close to her children’s school. Last week, while enjoying lunch at The Croissanterie in Little Rock with a group of fellow moms, Sanders and her security detail were approached by the staff and asked to leave. The request was made “due to concerns that her presence was making employees feel threatened and uncomfortable due to her political views.”
When she stood up to follow the request – after she and her party had already finished their meal, settled the bill, and tipped the staff – an individual near the cafe staff shouted at them and made an inappropriate hand gesture. On Thursday, Gov. Sanders took to social media to share her perspective, stating that the restaurant did not deliver the “warm hospitality” that is typically expected 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 Huckabee Sanders and her mom friends came in the establishment. You’d think they’d be happy to serve the governor of the state, regardless of party. But no.
“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,” it added.
Got that? Croissants are political now, as is dining out in general.
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, per reports.
Due to the consequences of their actions, the unapologetic restaurant is now facing a barrage of criticism on review sites, with numerous diners sharing their negative experiences, including the unpleasant encounter involving Sanders’ party.
They are getting reckt on Yelp:https://t.co/karX7Ao5KZ pic.twitter.com/H6fOyu8Jrq
— Mr Wizard (@The_Mr_Wizard) March 19, 2026
Getting skewered on Trip Advisor, as well. pic.twitter.com/XddQ0Sx3TH
— Arrie Frakes (@arriefrakes) March 19, 2026
This is not the first time Sarah Huckabee Sanders has been treated poorly by those associated with the “party of tolerance.” In 2018, while she was serving as President Trump’s chief spokesperson, Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. The owner explained that the atmosphere in the small establishment had turned uncomfortable for the staff and patrons. The word the owner used at the time was “horror.”
“In our tiny 26-seat restaurant, the horror felt simultaneously immediate and far away,” wrote unapologetic Red Hen owner Stephanie Wilkinson a year after her insanely bad manners. “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.”
But in the end, karma kicked in: The Red Hen closed in 2023.
Here’s the thing: If the Democrat left doesn’t want to share restaurant space with conservatives, that’s fine. Maybe we shouldn’t be sharing a country, either.
