Sean Hannity slams restaurant that ejected Sarah Sanders, says 'they're not allowed to do that'
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A restaurant incident involving Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has drawn a sharp reaction from Sean Hannity, who argued on-air that the situation may warrant legal action.
The Fox News host, speaking to Sanders on Friday, March 20, zeroed in on the decision to ask Sanders to leave a Little Rock establishment, suggesting the episode raises serious questions about discrimination based on political identity.
.@SarahHuckabee opens up after being asked to leave a restaurant pic.twitter.com/OUeM1cCavk
— Sean Hannity 🇺🇸 (@seanhannity) March 21, 2026
Sean Hannity pushes lawsuit idea, cites 'discrimination'
Breaking down the controversy on his show, Hannity revisited the incident and connected it to a previous moment from Sanders’ time as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump.
“You might remember a few years back when the owner of a Virginia restaurant asked the White House press secretary at the time to leave because she worked for president Donald J. Trump. That press secretary was Sarah Sanders. She is now the governor of Arkansas. And that restaurant, by the way, has long since closed down. But just last week, it happened again,” he said.
Hannity then escalated his argument, framing the incident as part of a broader cultural shift.
He claimed it reflects the left “becoming more violent, less tolerant, and to top it all off, more antisemitic.”
From there, he directly urged Sanders to think about taking the matter to court.
“That’s called discrimination!” he exclaimed. “I think the law would be on your side. It doesn’t sound like you’re thinking about it, but maybe you should. I mean, they’re not allowed to discriminate, are they?”
He even speculated how a similar situation involving Trump might play out legally saying “They’d probably be slapped with a lawsuit probably for about $1 billion. Just guessing there are laws on the books against these practices.”
Last week I was having lunch with two other moms at a restaurant when the owner approached a member of the State Police Executive Protection Detail and said my presence made their employees feel threatened and told us to leave.
— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) March 19, 2026
Arkansans are known for their warm hospitality, and… https://t.co/oYtZQNkX8o
Sarah Sanders downplays legal route
Despite Hannity’s push, Sanders indicated she is not currently planning to pursue a lawsuit. Instead, she suggested the situation may resolve itself without legal intervention.
“You know, I think the market will take care of this on its own,” she said, pointing to how similar controversies have played out in the past.
She also described the experience in broader terms, saying, “Unfortunately, I was there with two other moms, and as you know as well as anybody, Sean, the battle in this country is no longer between the left versus the right. It’s the normal versus the crazy.”
Sanders added a more optimistic note, arguing that most Americans do not share such behavior.
“But the good news is that the vast majority of people across this country, they love God, they love their families, they love America, and they do not represent that small group that we had to experience and endure last week.”
Earlier, the Little Rock restaurant at the center of the controversy defended its decision in a statement, explaining that staff and customers had expressed discomfort over Sanders’ presence.
According to the establishment, “Allowing her to stay risked being perceived as a lack of support for the community that makes up the majority of our team, as well as their families and friends.”