by Dr. Eowyn
The Aviary is an upscale cocktail lounge in Chicago.
NBC5 Chicago reporter Mary Ann Ahern tweeted that last night, the U.S. Secret Service handcuffed and took into custody a female Aviary employee who spat on Eric Trump, President Trump’s 35-year-old second son.
Most of the tweets in response to Ahern’s tweet applauded the spitter:
@JoeMooky: “He’s just doing what 70 percent of the country wished they could do”
@brutalityofwar: “Did he look like he was asking it? Maybe he should dress differently”
@AlisaTriplett: A GIF of Jerry Seinfeld eating popcorn.
@srslytroye: “I’ve never been there but it looks like it’ll be my new favorite cocktail bar”
@StacyC13: “I was disappointed that the “offennder” was in custody.”
@Sarcastic_Mike: “fuckin right chicago!!”
@ShameYourName: “Legalizing weed and spitting on a Trump in the same day. Chicago really is the best city.”
@GabzillaThrilla: “I hope Secret Service is giving this man high fives and buys him a drink”
@BrianCoffmanEsq: “Add me to the list that will take the case pro bono”
@BuryTheRed: “Offender? Public Hero more like it. How do we give that girl a Medal!!!”
Breitbart reports that:
According to sources familiar with the matter, Eric Trump had, with a group of people, come into Aviary, an upscale lounge in Chicago, and the young woman–an employee of the establishment–came right up to him and spit in his face.
Per an eyewitness, she murmured inaudibly something that sounded like it was anti-Trump. Then Secret Service agents who were there protecting Eric Trump jumped into action and took the woman into custody. She was put in handcuffs and placed in a police paddy wagon, a source with knowledge said. Eric Trump decided not to press charges against the woman in the end, and she was released from police custody.
Eric Trump told Breitbart News: “It was purely a disgusting act by somebody who clearly has emotional problems. For a party that preaches tolerance, this once again demonstrates they have very little civility. When somebody is sick enough to resort to spitting on someone, it just emphasizes a sickness and desperation and the fact that we’re winning.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, several people in the bar reported seeing an influx of Secret Service at the restaurant and one of the Trump sons inside. They told the Sun-Times they saw an arrest happen and heard another employee say “Oh my god, she spit on him.”
This morning, The Aviary issued this statement:
Last night an unfortunate incident occurred between an employee at The Aviary and Eric Trump. We did not witness the incident and we are just beginning to learn the details.
What is certain is this: no customer should ever be spit upon. We have not yet spoken with the employee but our HR team has, in the meantime, placed her on leave. We will not discuss internal HR matters beyond this statement.
More broadly, the online discussion about the incident is troubling. Hundreds of people are calling for the demise of our business, threatening our employees, and posting fake reviews… they are wrong to do so based on the actions of a lone individual.
So too, however, are those people wrong who are praising this as an act of civil disobedience. We have voices and the means to be heard. A degrading act lowers the tenor of debate. To some it might feel good, but it is unlikely to serve any larger purpose.
We hope this incident can, at least, serve to illuminate the current absurdity of the discourse in our politics.
As fellow Americans and citizens, we should all aim higher.