Former President Donald Trump recently encountered a group of protesters shouting slogans like “Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!” during a dining experience at a Washington, D.C. restaurant. Videos shared online captured the tense moment as Trump approached the protesters, standing just a few feet away, nodding and smiling without engaging in conversation.
Shortly after the initial encounter, Trump signaled for the area to be cleared, stating, “Come on, let’s go.” In response, Secret Service agents swiftly moved the protesters, who were waving Palestinian flags. Meanwhile, other diners in the restaurant voiced their disapproval by booing or chanting “U-S-A! U-S-A!” The protest was organized by Code Pink, a prominent feminist activist group. They took to social media, declaring, “While Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and others feasted at a steakhouse, we stood our ground and told them the truth: Free DC. Free Palestine. Trump is the Hitler of our time.”
On Tuesday, Trump dined at a seafood restaurant located near the White House, a rare public outing for the former president. His meal came amid his recent announcements regarding the deployment of the national guard and the federalization of the police force in D.C. After weeks of promoting these measures, Trump's motorcade arrived at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on 15th Street, where he claimed that federal authorities and military presence had transformed Washington into “a safe zone.”
Upon stepping out of his limousine, Trump was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd, reflecting the divided opinions on U.S. policy regarding Israel amidst the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Addressing reporters, Trump stated, “We’re standing right in the middle of DC, which as you know about, over the last year, was a very unsafe place – over the last 20 years – and now it’s got virtually no crime.” He further remarked that he would not have felt safe dining openly in the area just months prior.
During this dinner, Trump was joined by several notable figures, including JD Vance, the vice-president; Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary; Marco Rubio, the secretary of state; and Stephen Miller, the deputy chief of staff. According to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, the group enjoyed a lavish meal consisting of crab, shrimp, salad, steak, and dessert, just blocks from the White House.
Prior to the meal, Trump noted that “the restaurants now are booming” in D.C., attributing this resurgence to his crackdown on crime with the assistance of national guard troops. In a separate video, Vance was seen shaking hands with diners and encouraging them to enjoy their meals. However, Vance has faced backlash in the past; during a previous visit to D.C., he was heckled while distributing hamburgers to national guard troops, with one individual calling him a “Nazi.”
Interestingly, despite Trump sending in several thousand troops to address crime, D.C. was reported to be experiencing a 30-year low in crime rates at that time. A recent Reuters analysis indicated that while arrests have surged in the city since then, federal agents have been concentrating on low-level offenses such as marijuana use and public alcohol consumption.
