Protesters chanting "Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!" confronted Donald Trump as he dined at a restaurant near the White House on Tuesday evening. The US president paused near the demonstrators, nodding and smiling before gesturing for them to be removed.
Secret Service agents cleared the area as some diners booed and chanted "U-S-A!" The activist group Code Pink claimed responsibility, stating on social media that while Trump and his guests dined, they "stood our ground and told them the truth".
Trump was accompanied by Vice-President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other officials. They ate at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the menu included crab, shrimp, salad, steak and dessert.
The dinner promoted Trump's deployment of the National Guard and federalisation of the police in Washington, which he claims has made the city "a safe zone". He told reporters that crime had fallen, although a Reuters analysis found that federal agents had focused on low-level offences, and serious charges often failed to proceed.
Eating in public is rare for Trump. Critics have questioned the effectiveness of the security crackdown, with arrests increasing but grand juries failing to indict in many cases.
