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Arizona restaurant owners say they've faced backlash since attending Trump rally

Posted at 8:33 AM, Mar 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-02 08:33:56-05

CATALINA, AZ — President Donald Trump has taken notice of an Arizona restaurant after the owners reportedly faced backlash for attending his "Keep America Great" campaign rally in Phoenix last month.

Jorge and Betty Rivas own Sammy's Mexican Grill in Catalina, Arizona, just north of Tucson.

The Rivases are Trump supporters and attended the president' "Keep America Great" rally in Phoenix on Feb. 19. The Rivases sat behind the president and were visible on TV cameras.

Soon after, video of the Rivases at the rally began circulating on social media. One particular post in a community Facebook group was shared more than 300 times.

As the video gained traction online, Sammy's Mexican Grill received numerous negative reviews on Facebook and Google.

On Thursday, the Rviases posted a video on the restaurant's Facebook page and asked that critics stop "harassing" their restaurant.

"As a naturalized United States citizens, we have the right to support President Trump or to support any other candidate that loves this country," Jorge Rivas said in the video.

Trump gave the restaurant a shoutout on Sunday morning after the Rivasses' story aired on Fox News. Trump encouraged people to eat at Sammy's and wrote that he would try and stop by Sammy's the next time he is in Phoenix.

This story was originally published by KNXV in Phoenix.