Fuck a Michelin Star. In 2018, the true mark of a restaurant is whether or not the President of the United States of America leaves an angry online review.
The Red Hen eatery in Lexington, Virginia, has been blasted by US President Donald Trump on Twitter, after its staff asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to skedaddle out of the venue because of her association with Trump.
Taking to the platform late last night, Trump insulted the small farm-to-table eatery for its apparent uncleanliness and its decision to boot Sanders.
The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2018
Trump’s tirade comes after a bombardment of The Red Hen’s Yelp page by thousands upon thousands of folks who have, in all likelihood, never visited. At time of writing, the page bears around 15,000 reviews.
Outside of Trump’s obvious inclination to use his immense influence to punch down on anyone who slights him or his cronies, there may be another reason for his Twitter review – and it’s got bloody nothing to do with The Red Hen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfd-qKOhS3f/?taken-at=10561817
Iconic motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson has just announced that it will move some of its production offshore to dodge new tariffs the European Union has placed on imported American goods.
Those tariffs were enacted in retaliation to ones the US placed on imported aluminium and steel, meaning Trump’s push for a big ol’ trade war has already impacted American workers.
It’s a black eye for Trump, and it seems in keeping with his character that he’d lash out at such an obvious kick in the guts by tweeting out a review of a restaurant a fair way out of town.
For what it’s worth, The Red Hen’s latest health inspection, conducted on February 8 this year, found the place to be in absolutely excellent nick – even if the canopies are a touch dusty.
