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President Donald Trump made a rare public dining appearance Tuesday night when he stopped at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Washington, D.C., aiming to highlight improvements in the capital’s safety under his administration.
“We’re standing right in the middle of D.C., which, as you know, about over the last year was a very unsafe place. Over the last 20 years, it’s been very unsafe.” Trump told reporters outside the restaurant. “And now it’s got virtually no crime.”
He added, “The restaurants now are booming. People are going out to dinner where they didn’t go out for years. And it’s a safe city. And I just want to thank the National Guard. We loved working with the mayor and the chief, and we all worked together and the outcome is really spectacular. We have a capital that’s very, very safe right now.”
During the dinner, Trump faced down left-wing protesters, who shouted, “Free D.C.! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!”
Trump appeared unfazed by the protests in video that went viral.
This marks the first time Trump has publicly dined at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., in either of his terms. Trump was accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Erika Polmar, the Executive Director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, praised Trump for eating out and encouraged the president to promote policies to help the restaurant industry.
“The President’s first dinner out in Washington, D.C. shouldn’t be his last,” Polmar said. “It’s never been more important for the Administration to recognize the important role restaurants and bars play in communities across the country. The reality on the ground is tough. Reservations are down nationwide, costs remain high, and too many independent restaurants are operating on razor-thin margins.”
She continued, “That’s why we’re working with the administration to ensure the new No Tax on Tips policy is implemented fairly and includes tax relief for everyone, including back-of-house employees and those who are compensated by service charges. Independent restaurants and bars are one of America’s largest employers and sustain thousands more jobs in farms, wineries, linen companies, florists, and supply distributors nationwide. There is more work to do, and we hope the Administration continues to listen to independent restaurants and bars as they enact policies to ensure people are working, paid fairly, and can grow their businesses.”
Trump floated the idea of dining at a local D.C. restaurant last week in response to his deployment of federal troops to crack down on crime.
“I think it’s something we could consider doing. Love to do it. I love the White House food, but after a while, I could see going to a nice restaurant. It’s safe,” Trump told reporters.
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