Melania Trump, 48, feels bad for the way that Sarah Huckabee Sanders, 35, was denied service by the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. “Melania was horrified at the way Sarah was treated by the restaurant, she can only imagine how awkward and embarrassing it must have been for her —something like that happening is Melania’s absolute worst nightmare,” a source close to the first lady tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. Melania herself is no stranger to criticism lately. Recently, she came under fire for wearing a Zara jacket that read “I Really Don’t Care, Do U?”
Earlier this week, Sanders, who was dining with her family, was asked to leave The Red Hen by the establishment’s owner. This request didn’t sit well with Donald Trump‘s wife. “Melania thinks it was also disgraceful, as Sarah is only doing her job after all, and it seems unfair to lash out at her in this way, especially so publicly,” our insider added. “At the same time though, Melania understands why so many people are angry at her husband’s policies, and she feels more and more isolated by the week.”
When asked about the decision to deny service to the White House press secretary, Red Hen restaurant owner Stephanie Wilkinson told The Washington Post that she did it out of moral conviction. She was informed of Sanders’ arrival by a chef. “He said the staff is a little concerned. What should we do?” Wilkinson said. “I said I’d be down to see if it’s true.” After discussing the matter with her employees, some of whom are gay and knew that Trump wished to bar transgender people from the military, Wilkinson asked Sanders to speak with her outside. “I explained that the restaurant has certain standards that I feel it has to uphold, such as honesty, and compassion, and cooperation. I said, ‘I’d like to ask you to leave.'”
“I’m not a huge fan of confrontation,” Wilkinson told the newspaper. “I have a business, and I want the business to thrive. This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”
The following morning, Sanders tweeted about the incident from her official White House Twitter handle. “Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left,” she wrote. “Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so.”