Protesters disrupt Trump’s rare D.C. restaurant visit : NPR

President Trump arrives to dine with Joe seafood in Washington DC on Tuesday, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the defense secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice-President Vance.

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Win McNamee / Getty images

President Trump made a rare visit to a DC restaurant on Tuesday evening, where he was welcomed with heckling and demonstrations.

The president ventured to a pâté of houses in the White House in Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, a channel based in Miami with a rich story of celebrity customers (including Trump himself, who visited his location in Florida in the 90s, according to owner Stephen Sawitz).

It was Trump’s first DC’s first release of his second term, and undoubtedly his presidency: during his first mandate, he only ate the steakhouse from closed inside his old hotel. However, the time of Tuesday’s release is not a coincidence.

Trump’s dinner came exactly a month after declaring a criminal emergency to DC, who saw the national guard troops patrolling the streets and the local police by working with federal police to prevent people from traffic controls – as well as generalized demonstrations against them. His DC police check is expected to expire after Wednesday.

Trump has praised in recent days a complete decrease in crime in the national capital, which the data shows down (compared to last August) but not in total. He made similar allegations of success outside the restaurant, flanked by Vice-President Vance, the Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“I would not have done it three months ago, four months ago, I certainly would not have done it a year ago,” Trump told journalists. “It was one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Now, it is as sure in the country, so we are here with members of the dining cabinet, and everyone should go out.”

The arrival of Trump attracted a mixture of cheers and hoots of passers -by outside the restaurant, according to videos of the scene. While entering inside, he received a warmer welcome, with a video published by the White House capturing cheers and applause of colleagues.

“We have a safe city now,” said Trump. “Take advantage, you will not be attacked at home.”

But while Trump and his collaborators were heading for their table, their victory tour was perforated by demonstrations. Several people who later identified themselves as members of the Codepink feminist group moved away from the president, singing: “DC Libre, Palestine Libre, Trump is the Hitler of our time”.

Videos published by the group show that Trump listens to the armed head, then raising a finger to report the withdrawal of the demonstrators. The White House did not respond to the request for NPR comments on the interaction.

Speaking later the street, the event Olivia Dinucci said: “We need troops from everywhere”, appointing Gaza – where the United States supports Israel in his war with Hamas, but have no troops on the ground – as well as Venezuela and Puerto Rico, where the United States has advanced military operations in recent weeks.

“So we were there saying: he will absolutely not be able to dine in peace,” she added.

Joe’s, the restaurant, has since been flooded criticism from a star and comments related to Trump on his Facebook page, a lot of criticism of the president and the restaurant for welcoming him. In an email at NPR, he refused to comment on Trump’s visit.

Trump is no stranger to be heckled during public outings. A few days earlier, its presence in the US finals Open Men in New York attracted applause and half-empty stadium on Sunday while improved safety measures have maintained many tickolders blocked outside in long lines.

Trump plans to attend another high -level sporting event in New York on Thursday, with the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, journalists told the stands in the Yankees home game after commemorating the anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks at a Pentagon ceremony.

Trump says DC restaurants are booming, but many have trouble

On the way to dinner, Trump told journalists that DC restaurants “are now booming”.

“People come out of dinner where they did not go out for years, and it’s a safe city,” said the president.

But the data – anecdotal and other – painted a mixed image.

August is generally a slow month for DC Dining, since Congress – and many residents – are outside the city for recess. But data from the online online catering platform have shown that DC restaurant reservations have dropped on an average annual shift in the week after Trump declared a crime emergency on August 10.

Part of this decline could be explained by the fact that the week of summer restaurants took place during this period last year. The event is a celebration of the local catering scene organized by the restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), in which hundreds of participating restaurants offer meals with several dishes at fixed prices.

But, as NPR reported last week, some inhabitants intentionally avoided eating due to the additional agents of the application of laws deployed across the city. Others, however, say they feel more safe during their trip to dinner than before.

Reservation traffic has largely rebounded in the days that followed, especially during this year’s summer restaurant week, which began on August 18. Ramw extended it for an additional week this year, taking place at the end of August.

Shawn Townsend, president and chief executive officer of RAMW, told NPR earlier this month that restaurants were already struggling with increased costs, from labor to the control of rents itself.

“My parents are just trying to spend the next two weeks,” he said.

Townsend told NPR in a statement on Wednesday that Ramw interviewed his more than 1,500 members earlier this year, restaurant operators identified their main concerns such as inflation, prices, federal reductions and immigration – not crime, although he has recognized that security “will always be a priority”.

“We recognize that it was difficult for many operators, with the combination of summer travel, extreme heat and increased federal presence leading to softer sales and a reduction in pedestrian traffic,” he said.

Townsend added that fall “traditionally brings energy to our city”, from the return of the congress to students, and that restaurants “are ready to meet this moment and welcome guests to experience the dynamism and hospitality that define the restoration in the neighborhood”.