Eric Trump spit on at The Aviary; employee released without charges

An employee at a swanky Fulton Market cocktail lounge was released from Secret Service custody without charges Tuesday night after she allegedly spit on Eric Trump, the 35-year-old son of President Donald Trump.

Eric Trump was out to dinner about 8:30 p.m. at The Aviary, 955 W. Fulton Market, when a waitress spit in his face, the Trump Organization said.

The woman was held in custody for two hours before she was released at the direction of Eric Trump, who declined to press charges, a source told the Chicago Sun-Times.

“It was purely a disgusting act by somebody who clearly has emotional problems.” Eric Trump told the far right-wing website Breitbart News.

The Aviary issued a statement Wednesday morning saying “no customer should ever be spit upon,” and that the employee involved has been placed on leave.

The Sun-Times is not naming the waitress because she has not been charged with a crime. Efforts to contact her have been unsuccessful.

The cocktail lounge lamented that “hundreds of people are calling for the demise of our business, threatening our employees, and posting fake reviews.”

“They are wrong to do so based on the actions of a lone individual,” the statement read. “So too, however, are those people wrong who are praising this as an act of civil disobedience. We have voices and the means to be heard. A degrading act lowers the tenor of debate. To some it might feel good, but it is unlikely to serve any larger purpose.”

Chicago police confirmed officers “assisted the Secret Service with a law enforcement matter,” but did not elaborate on any details and directed further questions to the Secret Service.

A Secret Service representative who answered the phone Tuesday night at the agency’s Washington D.C.-based office said media inquiries should be sent via email. Another Secret Service representative responded to an email early Wednesday but declined to comment.

Two restaurant employees told the Sun-Times shortly after the incident that another employee spit on Eric Trump but did not see it happen themselves.

Several people in the bar reported seeing an influx of Secret Service agents and one of the Trump sons inside. They told the Sun-Times they saw an arrest happen and heard another employee say, “Oh my god, she spit on him.”

Eric Trump later tweeted photos of Trump International Hotel and Tower, saying “Always love visiting ⁦@TrumpChicago⁩! It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world!” He made no mention of being spit on earlier in the evening.

Nick Kokonas is the owner of The Aviary and Alinea, which was recently ranked No. 37 on the list of the world’s best eateries.

Kokonas made headlines in January when he invited the national champion Clemson Tigers football team to Alinea for “an actual celebration dinner” after the president served the players a smorgasbord of fast food when he hosted the team at the White House.