A D.C. pizza shop faces backlash after a congratulatory social media post about President-elect Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Menomale Pizza posted, “The people have spoken. @realDonaldTrump won the popular vote and the electoral college. Congratulations!”
“It was a trending topic,” co-owner Mariya Rusciano said. “Many restaurants were tweeting the night before, as well. Everybody was hopping on the trending topic, trying to promote themselves. That’s what people do these days on social media.”
Rusciano said it was not an endorsement. The next part of the post implies it’s not about a Republican or Democrat in the White House — it’s about getting a Neapolitan in the White House.
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“Can we gift @WhiteHouse a nice Italian wood burning pizza oven?” the post continued.
“We’d really like to see a pizza oven in the White House,” Rusciano said. “Whether it happens or not — it’s a longshot — but it’s an opportunity.”
She said they would’ve posted a message regardless of who won the election.
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The nicer comments about the post implored the restaurant to “read the room.” Others pledged never to patronize Menomale again.
“I respect that,” Rusciano said. “We all vote with our wallets every day, but there was no reason to get personal, telling us to go eff ourselves, wishing for us to shut down.”
In 2017, Taylor Gourmet shut down its D.C. locations after the owner posed for a photo with then-President Trump. It has since reopened.
Menomale’s owners said they are Democrats who took their cue from Vice President Kamala Harris’ concession remarks about accepting the election results.
