Gary Johnson Gets Kicked Out of Little Havana Hotspot in Miami

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson was asked to leave Miami's Versailles Restaurant Thursday morning after arriving for a radio interview, trailing a gaggle of reporters and video crews, without receiving prior authorization.

"We had heard from someone in his team that he might be stopping by on Wednesday," said Nicole Valls, vice president of the company that runs the popular meeting spot for pols courting potential supporters in South Florida's Cuban-American community.

"We let the GM (general manager) know and asked him to let us know when he arrived so the family can welcome him into the restaurant," Valls told the Miami Herald. "Unfortunately, he didn't show up yesterday and the GM was off today."

"I didn't get authorization," a Johnson manager said to the Herald.

The restaurant in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood is famous as a meeting place for the Cuban-American community, and as a frequent stop for campaigning politicians. Republican candidate Donald Trump scheduled two gatherings at Versailles in July, but both were cancelled at the last minute.

The campaign called off the first one after five Dallas law enforcement officers were murdered the day before, while the second was reportedly nixed because of scheduling issues, according to Fox News. 

When Johnson pulled in, no one at the restaurant was prepared.

"The new manager wasn't aware of the situation and since we typically require authorization if there are film crews inside the restaurant, he thought he was doing the right thing," Valls told the Herald. "We have always and will continue to welcome all candidates to Versailles. We would love to have him back to meet him and have a cafecito."

The Herald reports that Johnson seemed unaffected by the situation, taking his entourage to the sidewalk.

"You know, I'll just walk outside," Johnson said after he was asked why he left. "I have no idea and it doesn't bother me. They said we want you to sign a disclosure . . . fine, we'll just go outside."

Johnson took questions in the open-air setting from voters and the assembled media, saying "I'm available to mingle."

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