Mariya Rusciano, the owner of Menomale Pizza in Washington, D.C., may have walked into a firestorm with her simple message of congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump, but her response is a breath of fresh air in a city gripped by political tribalism. Her story highlights the sheer absurdity of how far things have devolved in the nation’s capital—where even a small business wishing the incoming president well can spark a virtual mob.
Let’s break this down. On November 6, Rusciano—herself a registered Democrat—took to X with a post that should have been unremarkable: “The people have spoken. @realDonaldTrump won the popular vote and the electoral college. Congratulations! Can we gift @WhiteHouse a nice Italian wood burning pizza oven?” Innocent enough, right? Well, not in D.C., where over 92% of voters threw their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
The reaction was swift and venomous. Locals accused Rusciano of “trying to go out of business,” threatened boycotts, and spewed the usual digital rage. Social media warriors like “Lisa” and other Brookland residents jumped at the chance to prove their intolerance. One user smugly wrote, “Thanks for exposing who you are! Will never be buying anything from this business.”
The people have spoken. @realDonaldTrump won the popular vote and the electoral college. 🇺🇸Congratulations! 🥂
Can we gift @WhiteHouse a nice Italian wood burning pizza oven? 🍕🇮🇹😎 #ElectionDay #electionday2024 #47thPresident— Menomàle Pizza (@menomale_dc) November 6, 2024
For what, exactly? A congratulatory message? Think about that. Rusciano didn’t endorse a policy, she didn’t hold a campaign rally—she congratulated the President-elect of the United States. Yet in today’s D.C., that’s all it takes to warrant public shaming and profanity hurled at her husband outside their shop.
The irony is glaring. This is the crowd that prides itself on being champions of “tolerance” and “inclusiveness”—except when someone dares step even an inch outside the echo chamber. The venom isn’t about Rusciano’s message; it’s about the rigid, suffocating demand for ideological conformity in places like D.C. It’s the same mentality that had food workers publicly vowing to refuse service to Trump officials, as reported by The Washingtonian.
But here’s where Rusciano shines. Rather than backpedal or grovel to the mob, she held her ground with grace and a call for unity that most politicians could learn from. She explained that she would’ve posted the same message had Harris won, adding, “At the end of the day, both candidates called for unity and emphasized that unity is so important throughout their campaign.”
And she’s right. America wasn’t always like this. Rusciano recalled voting in 2012 when it was still socially acceptable to talk to someone who voted differently. These days, people cut off family members over politics, and the keyboard warriors on X act as though a pizza shop’s neutrality is a national crisis.
Rusciano also brings an important reminder about the distortions of social media. She’s since received far more messages of support than hate, and she pointed out what most sensible people already know: “Sometimes it’s good to get off social media and go out there and talk to real people in real life.” Social media has a way of amplifying the loudest, angriest voices, but they don’t represent everyone. Most people aren’t looking to boycott their local pizza shop over a post on X—they just want a good slice of pizza.
Rusciano’s skepticism toward food workers vowing to “resist” Trump officials is also spot on. Does anyone really think a bartender is going to quit “on the spot” because they had to serve a cabinet secretary? Of course not. That kind of posturing may play well in D.C. cocktail parties or on TikTok, but in the real world, people want to work, live, and get along.