‘Filthy canopies, needs a paint job’: Donald Trump attacks restaurant that asked his press secretary to leave

Donald Trump has lashed out at a Virginia restaurant that refused to serve his press secretary, saying it had  “filthy canopies, doors and windows” and “badly needs a paint job.”

The US president attacked the Red Hen restaurant on Monday morning after its owner asked Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, to leave because of the administration's "inhumane" policies. 

"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," Mr Trump tweeted.

"I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!"

Ms Sanders revealed on Saturday that she was refused service at the small restaurant, which is about three hours drive outside Washington.

She wrote on Twitter: "I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia to leave because I work for the president and I politely left.

"Her (the owner's) 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."

The confrontation comes at a time when the Trump administration is facing fierce criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for its zero-tolerance border policy that has separated children from parents. 

Mrs Sanders' treatment at the restaurant in the small Virginia town of Lexington, which voted heavily against Mr Trump, created a fierce social media debate.

Mrs Sanders' father Mike Huckabee, the former Republican presidential candidate, said: "Bigotry. On the menu at Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. Or you can ask for the 'Hate Plate'. And appetizers are 'small plates for small minds'."

Earlier in the week, Mr Trump's homeland security secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, whose department has been administering the immigration policies, cut short a dinner at a Mexican restaurant after protesters shouted "Shame!" until she left.

Stephanie Wilkinson, who is a co-owner of the tiny 26-seat eaterie, confirmed she had asked Mrs Sanders to leave over what she called the administrations “inhumane and unethical" policies.

"I’m not a huge fan of confrontation. I have a business, and I want the business to thrive," she told the Washington Post.

"But this feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”

Ms Wilkinson said she had consulted her staff, several of whom are gay, on whether to ask Mrs Sanders to leave. 

She stressed that her staff, who had disagreed with Mr Trump's desire to ban transgender people from the military and the immigration policy that caused children to be separated from their parents.

Ms Wilkinson said she went to Mrs Sanders, told her she was the owner, and and asked her on to the patio "for a word".

She said: "I was babbling a little, but I got my point across in a polite and direct fashion. 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'."

Mrs Sanders was polite and said simply: "That’s fine. I’ll go."