An audacious narrative took center stage in the leftist media recently, attempting to taint the image of former President Donald Trump. The outlandish headline blared, “Trump Allegedly Left a Miami Restaurant Full of His Supporters High and Dry After Promising to Foot the Bill.” This narrative unfolded in the wake of Trump’s brief visit to Versailles, a beloved Cuban restaurant in Miami, following his arraignment on charges related to handling classified information.
Writer Bess Levin did an impressive job of spinning this tale, painting Trump as both untruthful and miserly. According to Levin, this incident was a perfect blend of these alleged character flaws, purportedly laid bare for everyone to witness. However, this melodramatic retelling appears to be less grounded in reality and more in wishful thinking.
Newsweek, in a subsequent report, set the record straight. Their conclusion? There’s no substantiated evidence to suggest that Trump or his entourage left anyone at Versailles with an unpaid bill.
The saga originates from a somewhat theatrical report in the Miami New Times. The publication, while glibly referring to Trump as “glad-handing,” claims that Trump shouted, “Food for everyone!” but left without any food being served. They quote an unidentified source who alleges Trump’s visit lasted a mere ten minutes – barely enough time to place an order, let alone dine.
Social media, always hungry for a juicy story – particularly one that paints Trump in a negative light – latched onto this narrative with gusto. Tweets condemning Trump for his “fake generosity” and “fake wealth” started doing the rounds.
Newsweek’s dive into the matter involved examining video footage from the event. The footage showed a restaurant teeming with security personnel, press members, and supporters. Curiously, there were no apparent customers being served at the time. The video further revealed a surprisingly quiet kitchen area, showing no signs of food preparation or cooking during Trump’s brief visit.
Upon further scrutiny by Newsweek, Laine Doss, the writer of the original Miami New Times piece, clarified her position. She stated, “I never wrote that he didn’t pay. I wrote that there was no food. That’s all I wrote.” Doss went on to clarify that since no food was ordered during the 10-minute visit, there was no need for payment.
In light of these facts, Newsweek rightly concluded that no order was placed, and the restaurant, given the sheer number of people present, may not have been able to take or serve any orders.
Business Insider, which carried the initial story, later appended a note stating that a representative for Trump had clarified the situation. According to this representative, Trump had indeed “offered to buy food” for his supporters. However, his supporters opted to follow him outside when he left rather than placing any orders. The representative further assured that the campaign’s advance team covered the costs of any meals that were ordered.
This saga serves as a vivid example of how narratives can be twisted, misleading the public and smearing reputations based on half-truths. It’s a sobering reminder of the importance of separating fact from fiction, especially in today’s highly polarized political landscape.
