DC Restaurant Gets Death Threats After Ted Cruz Incident: Owner

WASHINGTON, DC -- The owner of a D.C. restaurant where Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was confronted by protesters has said in a statement that his staff have received death threats after the incident.

Cruz was confronted by protesters earlier this week who chanted "we believe survivors" at the prominent Republican politician as he and his wife sat down for dinner at Fiola, and it was recorded on video that quickly went viral. Cruz left the restaurant shortly after.

Fiola owner Fabio Trabocchi wrote in a statement released Wednesday that he was "blessed to work with the staff who have handled the harassment and life-threatening messages we and our families have received in the wake of the event."

"They have shown remarkable grit and calm," he said. "It is scary to hear anger directed at you and those you love -- I am lucky to work with brave people who respect our work."

Trabocchi did not provide specifics on the nature of the threats or what specifically the people contacting staff were angry about.

Trabocchi also released a statement on Tuesday where he said the restaurant welcomes "all patrons" regardless of political beliefs.

Protesters are angry that Cruz supports Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is under fire after multiple women have come forward to allege sexual harassment. Kavanaugh is scheduled to go before the Senate Thursday to testify, as is one of his accusers, Christine Blasey Ford.

BREAKING. Activists just chased @TedCruz out of a fancy Washington DC restaurant, chanting “We Believe Survivors!”

Cruz has been friends with creep Kavanaugh for 20 years. Now Cruz is on judiciary committee hearing his testimony.

Fascists not welcome! #CancelKavanugh pic.twitter.com/7mx6Tc32za
— Smash Racism DC (@SmashRacismDC) September 25, 2018

Fiola, one of D.C.'s priciest restaurants, is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown D.C.

One of the protesters can be seen more specifically addressing the senator, telling him that she is a sexual assault survivor and saying, "I’d love to talk to you about Brett Kavanaugh tonight."

Cruz is one of the top figures on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been pushing to approve Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court to replace outgoing Justice Anthony Kennedy. Democrats oppose the nomination, and have focused on the accusations of one woman who went to school with Kavanaugh who says that he sexually assaulted her. That woman, Christine Blasely Ford, has agreed to testify on Thursday.

The Washington Post reports that the group, a branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, were tipped off to the Cruzes' reservation and waited at the bar for more than hour until they arrived.

Cruz only replied "God bless you, ma'am" and sat down with his wife at the booth briefly before eventually leaving to cheers from the group, which was also escorted off the premises.

Cruz is just the latest in a series of Republicans who have been confronted and even driven out of area restaurants. Sarah Huckabee Sanders made headlines earlier this year after calling out a restaurant in rural Virginia for asking her and her family to leave. White House advisor Stephen Miller was reportedly confronted at a D.C. restaurant. And Kirstjen Nielsen was driven out of a Mexican restaurant in the District during the height of the controversy over immigrant children being separated from their parents at the Mexican border.

(Photo by Tom Fox-Pool/Getty Images)