White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she was booted from a Virginia restaurant because she works for US President Donald Trump.

Sanders said she was told on Friday night by the owner of The Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia, that she had to “leave because I work for (at) POTUS and I politely left”.

Sanders said the event said far more about the owner of the restaurant than it did about her.

“I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so,” Sanders said in the Saturday tweet from her official account, which generated 22,000 replies in about an hour.

Opinions about Sanders’ treatment at the restaurant spilled throughout social media, with people on both sides of politics weighing in – including her father, former Arkansas governor and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Sarah Sanders is whining about not being served at the Red Hen restaurant, because she is a terrible person who lies for Trump and hurts this country. Yet, she fought the right for a business to not serve someone because they’re gay. Cry me a river. Go eat at a kkk restaurant.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) June 23, 2018

“Bigotry. On the menu at Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington VA. Or you can ask for the ‘Hate Plate’,” Huckabee said, quickly generating 2000 replies in about 30 minutes.

“And appetisers are ‘small plates for small minds.”‘

On Yelp, a reviewer of the restaurant from Los Angeles wrote: “Don’t eat here if you’re a Republican, wearing a MAGA hat or a patriot.”

https://twitter.com/bestamericanUSA/status/1010668443895582720

“12/10 would recommend. Bonus: this place is run by management who stuck up for their beliefs and who are true Americans. THANK YOU!!!!” said a reviewer from Commerce City, Colorado.

-AAP