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A Washington, D.C., pizzeria owner denied having any concerns over potentially hosting President Donald Trump on Friday after a local magazine referenced her business in an article about the potential “political maelstrom.”
Washingtonian food editor Jessica Sidman wrote on Thursday that any restaurant in the nation’s capital would be in a “losing situation” whether it welcomed Trump or not. Sidman referenced Menomale Pizzeria as an example of a place that faced boycotts and backlash after congratulating Trump’s presidential win in 2024 shortly after the election.
“[M]ost restaurants would serve him because that’s just what restaurants do. Still, they would undoubtedly face boycott threats from locals and an onslaught of online and real-life rage,” Sidman wrote.
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Menomale Pizzeria’s owner Mariya Rusciano took to X after the article was published to clarify that despite Sidman’s argument, she would consider it disrespectful to reject any president and welcomed an opportunity for Trump to visit.
“It is disrespectful to turn @POTUS away. It also means turning away millions of fellow Americans who voted differently. We welcome everyone & it would be a privilege to welcome @POTUS. Also, we hear @realDonaldTrump eats pizza with a fork & knife, like a true Neapolitan,” Rusciano wrote on her shop’s X account.
She nevertheless thanked Sidman for mentioning her restaurant in the article in a follow-up post.
In an additional comment to Fox News Digital, Rusciano reiterated that hosting Trump would be a privilege and hoped that her story could be used as a sign of unity in D.C.
“We do not want to be associated with the notion that a D.C. business should fear to welcome the president or that we fear to welcome him because of what happened back in November with our congratulatory post,” Rusciano said. “Quite the opposite is true — it would be a privilege!”
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She continued, “Of course, we were immediately subjected to calls for boycott and name-calling, but overall, we got many more likes than dislikes. This is encouraging, and we stand for civility, unity and respect for all Americans in the Nation’s Capital. I hope that our story can be highlighted as a positive example of what D.C. should stand for – civility, unity and tolerance.”
Rusciano previously told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner in December that she believed there was a more positive shift happening in D.C. after seeing the response to her original post.
“As the post started going viral across D.C. and the region, we received many more messages of support far outweighing the negative comments, which really showed me that people, even in a place like D.C., are tired of the divisive rhetoric, and it’s about time we come together and start honoring one another as fellow Americans,” Rusciano said.
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