Texas Restaurant Owner Responds To Donald Trump Jr.'s Photo Mocking Obama

A viral photo of Donald Trump Jr. mocking former President Barack Obama at a Texas restaurant prompted the owner of the establishment to respond late Monday. Trump Jr. faced backlash after he posed with Sen. Ted Cruz holding a cookie bearing Obama’s face.

Many Twitter users called the picture “racist,” with one user saying: "Wow. Looks like college kids doing racist minstrel show on cake of Obama. M------------ are just racist man."

Trump Jr. posted the photo on his social media account, writing: "With friends like these... some good friends decided that while my birthday is not for 2 weeks that they would get me an early 40th birthday cake."

"And what birthday is complete without an Obama cake? I figured it was so good that I would have to share it with Ted," President Donald Trump's son continued.

The photo was taken Sunday night in Dallas restaurant Le Bilboquet, where Trump Jr. and Cruz were celebrating a mutual friend's birthday party. Some users, especially in Dallas, called for a boycott of Le Bilboquet.

Le Bilboquet owner Stephan Corseau was forced to respond after the viral photo drew criticism on social media.

Courseau said "Le Bilboquet feel betrayed and sad" over what has inevitably become a social media firestorm.

"Let me be clear, I share your indignation without any reservation," Courseau wrote. "Both Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz were attending a birthday celebration of one of our regular patrons who rented out our venue for a private event. The party was not for either one of them nor was it any kind of partisan rally."

"Someone that attended the party brought in an outside cake for Donald Trump Jr.’s upcoming birthday and we are not sure who that was. Both Donald Trump Jr. and Ted Cruz took pictures with the cake and posted on social media outlets," he said.

"We at Le Bilboquet feel betrayed and sad. Restaurant business is about creating a hospitable environment for all, a non-partisan, non-politicized, nondiscriminatory and respectful environment. The fact that guests decided to use our restaurant as a platform to promote, disrespect, and spread hatred goes against everything we stand for.

"We both believe in universal values of love, respect and tolerance," Courseau wrote in reference to his wife. "Values that we have found within the Dallas community. Our friends and patrons represent a wide spectrum of American beliefs including: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. What brings them together is the same belief that we can live together with love, respect and tolerance. I made America my home a long time ago because of these values that embody the real American dream."

He continued: "I am truly sorry that such distasteful events happened at our venue and that these circumstances brought me to write this statement today. It reminds us that a divide still exists and that we have to keep promoting our core values, so that events like these don't happen again. While I am disappointed and hurt, I still think it is possible."

Below are some social media reactions: