WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a move underscoring his administration’s focus on law and order, President Donald Trump dined at the upscale Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on Tuesday evening, declaring the nation’s capital “very, very safe” due to his policies.
The dinner, which included key members of his new cabinet, was interrupted by a group of pro-Palestine protesters who confronted the President inside the restaurant. The incident quickly became a stark display of the deep political divisions surrounding U.S. foreign policy and domestic security.
The President was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. As the group ate, protesters began chanting “Free Palestine” and directly addressed the President, with one individual labeling him “the Hitler of our time.”
In a moment captured by onlookers, President Trump paused, turned, and stared down the demonstrators before calmly returning to his meal. The protesters were eventually escorted out by security personnel.
The White House framed the event as a testament to the success of the administration’s crime crackdown. “The fact that the President can freely dine in a D.C. restaurant, despite the presence of a disruptive few, demonstrates the restored safety and order his policies have brought to American cities,” a spokesperson said later.
Critics, however, pointed to the confrontation as evidence of the intense domestic backlash against the administration’s steadfast support for Israel in its ongoing conflict in Gaza. The protest highlights the challenging political landscape Trump navigates as he promotes urban security initiatives amid fierce opposition on other fronts.
The dinner at Joe’s Seafood was the President’s first visit to the establishment since beginning his second term.
