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D.C.’s Red Hen Gets Caught in Trump Aides’ Dining Drama

Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ experience in Lexington, Virginia has ensnared the Bloomingdale restaurant

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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

The fact that the latest instance of publicly shaming Trump administration officials attempting to dine out took place nearly 200 miles from the nation’s capital hasn’t stopped outraged Trump supporters from attempting to destroy the reputation of the critically acclaimed Red Hen in Bloomingdale by flooding social media with spiteful reviews.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders alerted the nation via Twitter that she had been asked to leave the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia because of her job. Stephanie Wilkinson, co-owner of the Virginia restaurant, told the Washington Post that she refused Sanders service because of the administration’s policies on LGBTQ issues and immigration.

Trump supporters immediately hopped online to seek vengeance, erroneously lashing out at the unaffiliated Red Hen in D.C. — a retaliatory campaign the local Red Hen’s management attempted to halt by pointing out that it had nothing to do with the political drama.

The clarification did nothing to stop the torrent of malicious reviews that have poured in on Yelp and Facebook.

A barrage of negative reviews for the Red Hen in D.C.
Yelp [Screenshot]
More negative reviews for the Red Hen in D.C.
Yelp [Screenshot]
The negative reviews for the Red Hen on Facebook.
Facebook [Screenshot]

Even when informed that the Red Hen in D.C. is not the restaurant that ejected Sanders, at least one attacker has persisted — brazenly commenting “Ask me if I care?”

Even knowing this was the wrong Red Hen didn’t deter one Facebook user from attacking the restaurant.
Facebook [Screenshot]

Eater reached out to D.C. Red Hen regarding what, if anything, it can do to rectify the false accusations still pouring in but has not heard back. The virtual sniping is unlikely to subside anytime soon — particularly now that President Donald Trump has joined the fight.

These confrontations have gotten so out of hand, the Washington Post — which Trump assails every chance he gets — issued a call for civility in an editorial titled “Let the Trump team eat in peace.”

The Red Hen

1822 1st Street Northwest, , DC 20001 (202) 525-3021 Visit Website