Southwest apologizes after flight attendant posts picture of passenger in Trump t-shirt

Southwest Airlines planes are loaded Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Southwest Airlines planes are loaded Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press Photo: Ted S. Warren, Associated Press Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close Southwest apologizes after flight attendant posts picture of passenger in Trump t-shirt 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

If you give a flight attendant a candy bar, you'll likely score a free drink, but for one Southwest passenger, even a king-sized Snickers probably wouldn't have earned him a complementary whiskey soda.

A Southwest flight attendant who recently noticed a passenger wearing a Trump shirt vented her frustrations on social media. The shirt read "Trump 45" and "Suck it up Buttercup."

"Someone did NOT get my most Positively Outrageous Service today on my flight ... #notgoingtosuckitup #dumpTrump #eeew," wrote the flight attendant.

RELATED: Dirty diapers, bare feet, tobacco spit: Former flight attendant shares passenger horror stories

The post went viral after Chicago resident Mark Kaminski shared a screenshot of the complaint on Southwest's Facebook page. Kaminski told USA Today that he thought the employee should be fired.

Southwest replied with a boilerplate customer service apology:

"We aim to provide outstanding service to all who travel with us and regret if we missed the mark. We appreciate you sharing your feedback."

The company later shared a statement with a more nuanced apology to USA Today, stating that "the post in question does not reflect the inclusive environment we strive to provide for our customers and employees."

Dan Gentile is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere