In early 2019, a Chicago waitress was suspended following allegations from Eric Trump, who claimed she spat on him during a dinner at The Aviary, a high-end restaurant in the city’s West Loop neighborhood. The incident quickly gained media attention, with Newsweek reporting that other restaurant staff also faced backlash as word of the alleged spitting began to circulate.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department, confirmed on Twitter that law enforcement officials were present at The Aviary, assisting the U.S. Secret Service with the situation. In a statement, the restaurant said, “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.”
A representative for the Trump Organization explained that both the Secret Service and the Chicago Police Department briefly detained a woman in connection with the incident. However, she was released after Eric Trump informed authorities that he did not wish to press charges, according to The New York Times.
Eric Trump expressed his disgust over the incident, stating, “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.”
Following the incident, The Aviary found itself at the center of an online campaign. The restaurant group described the surge of threats and negative reviews as troubling, noting that many people were calling for the closure of its businesses. “We hope this incident can, at least, illuminate the current absurdity of the discourse in our politics,” the restaurant said in a statement.
The spitting allegation sparked intense reactions, with critics of the Trump family praising the act as part of the broader “resistance,” while Trump supporters condemned it as disrespectful and inappropriate. Despite the polarized responses, The Aviary’s owners were reluctant to engage in the political debate, as reported by CBS News.
At the time of the incident, Eric Trump was in Chicago on business, visiting the Trump Hotel Chicago, a property owned by the Trump Organization. He also mentioned a visit to the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago on Twitter. Beyond his business trip, Eric had recently returned from a state visit to the U.K., where he joined his father, Donald Trump, and other family members at a formal banquet with the late Queen Elizabeth.
Following the banquet, he and his elder brother, Donald Trump Jr., were photographed during a night out at the family’s golf resort in Doonbeg, Ireland. Though the incident involving the waitress sparked heated discussion online, it also highlighted the complexities of political discourse in the current climate, with both sides of the debate using it as a talking point in their broader cultural and political arguments.