Social Media Lights Up over Anderson Cooper's 'Olive Garden' Quip

The country is still in a state of shock after pro-Trump rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol Building even as Congress was in session within. But on social media, users are in a tizzy over Anderson Cooper's off-the-cuff remark to the effect that the mob would be retiring en masse to the Olive Garden to swap stories about trashing the Capitol over dinner.

Cooper's remarks were spoken as the riot unfolded on Jan. 6. Over footage of MAGA-hat wearing rioters invading the Capitol with Confederate flags in hand, Cooper commented, "Look at them, they're high-fiving each other for this deplorable display of completely unpatriotic, completely against law and order, completely unconstitutional behavior, it's stunning," The New York Post recalls.

The CNN anchor then went on to say: "And they're going to go back to the Olive Garden and to the Holiday Inn they're staying at, or the Garden Marriott, and they're going to have some drinks and talk about the great day they had in Washington ... They stood up for nothing other than mayhem."

America's polarized social media promptly went into overdrive, with some calling Anderson "out of touch" and "elitist" while others scoffed that the remark exemplified the media's refusal to recognize that many Trump supporters are economically well off.

"He inherited his mother Gloria Vanderbilt's $200 million fortune," one Twitter user exclaimed, according to UK newspaper The Daily Mail. "The elites are beyond detached from the reality of any common American."

Seethed another: "'Anderson Cooper - a literal Vanderbilt - slandering Olive Garden... this better start the class war fr. let's f*****g go."

'FYI: Comments like Anderson Cooper's 'Olive Garden' line is why Trump supporters want to fight you...' posted standup Tim Young, whose material is frequently politically charged.

On the other side, social media users chided Cooper for perpetuating stereotypes about impoverished Trump supporters and militia members they suggested were obviously not credible.

"Anderson Cooper's classist dog whistle that they're going to 'return to the holiday inn &olive garden' as if these ppl don't have money to fly across the country with weapons and fireworks and arts and crafts materials in the COVID economy lol... militia is a middle class affair," one tweet read.

"All those assault rifles are $2500 a piece!!!" another noted. "Glocks go for around $600 each. Then $65,000 for the pickup truck.

"And, high capacity magazines at $50 a pop. Plus the tactical gear at $800 for the full cosplay outfit. They're rich."

Others simply regretted - or mocked - that Cooper name-checked the popular chain.

"All Olive Garden ever wanted to do was provide unlimited salad and breadsticks to the people," one user tweeted. "They don't deserve to be dragged like this."

"When you're about to celebrate w the boys at Olive Garden /// holiday inn," another posted, along with a widely-circulated photo of a rioter walking away with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's podium.

Have a look below at some of the other comments users posted.