The 16-year-old who claimed he had his MAGA hat ripped off his head by someone at Whataburger without provocation may have incited the incident.
According to San Antonio CBS-affiliate KENS5, a witness has now come forward to allege that the teenagers were making racist remarks about black and Hispanic people. While the news station took out the witness’ exact statement from the article because of “concerns about the legitimacy of the statements,” the witness claimed he didn’t see the adult—who has been identified as 30-year-old Kino Jimenez—throw the drink, but peeped what happened before the attack. The witness, who remained anonymous, also shared that another man requested that the teens stop making comments; the man and his family eventually left before the situation intensified.
Hunter Richard, the 16-year-old, said he was out with his friends on Thursday night when Jimenez approached him, removed his hat, tossed a beverage in his face, and then left Whataburger. Video of the alleged incident shows a man walking out of the restaurant, where he's heard saying he plans to give the hat a new home inside his fireplace.
So went out for a 2am snack and my friend (wearing a MAGA hat) had his hat stolen and a drink thrown in his face (and mine, you can see my arms on the left of the video) pic.twitter.com/B3QjBFIxPk
“I support my president and if you don't let's have a conversation about it instead of ripping my hat off,” Richard told News 4 San Antonio of the situation. “I just think a conversation about politics is more productive for the entire whole rather than taking my hat and yelling subjective words to me.”
Previously in MAGA hat-related news, a restaurant manager was fired after not serving a Trump supporter and a judge ruled in favor of a bar in New York for booting another one.
