President Donald Trump finally voyaged to a restaurant in Washington, D.C. that wasn’t his own – choosing to eat dinner Tuesday night at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab.
Inside the restaurant, he encountered protesters who chanted at the president’s face: ‘Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.’
Trump appeared to stare them down before heading to his seat, a video obtained by CNN showed. The anti-war group Code Pink posted another version of the video, taking credit for the pop-up protest.
In a video shared by the White House, Trump told diners: ‘We have a safe city. Enjoy yourselves – you won’t be mugged going home. Have a good time, everybody.’
‘Don’t drink too much,’ the sober Trump teased.
The restaurant is located about two blocks from the White House – and has Florida origins. The original Joe’s Stone Crab is a Miami Beach staple and was designated a historic landmark in 1975.
At the D.C. locale, Trump was joined by Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller also joined him.
‘But here I am, standing out in the middle of the street,’ he told reporters before heading in. ‘I wouldn’t have done this three months ago, four months ago, I certainly wouldn’t have done it a year ago. This is one of the most unsafe cities in the country, now it’s as safe as it is in the country.’
President Donald Trump (center) stands outside of Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in downtown Washington, D.C. alongside (from left) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance ahead of dinner Tuesday night
Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab is located about two blocks from the White House and has Florida roots. The original Joe’s Stone Crab is a Miami Beach staple and was designated a historic landmark
‘So we’re here with Cabinet members having dinner, so everybody should go out,’ the president continued.
Last month, Trump announced he was federalizing D.C.’s police and sending in the National Guard to help with crime.
He has since declared D.C. ‘safe’ since making the move – one in opposition to most of the District’s Democratic residents.
‘The restaurants now are booming,’ he boasted. ‘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.’
While D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has cooperated with the federal takeover, last week D.C.’s independently elected Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit arguing armed soldiers should not be involved in policing.
Trump has criticized Schwalb’s move.
He commended Bowser to reporters Tuesday night.
‘We all worked together and the outcome is really spectacular,’ he said. ‘We have a capital that’s very, very safe.’
Last week in the Oval Office, Trump was asked why he had never eaten at a restaurant in D.C. outside of BLT Prime, the steakhouse located inside the former Trump International Hotel, while in office.
During his first term, he would motorcade the five blocks and hold court at the restaurant, which overlooked the hotel’s grand lobby and bar.
‘How do you know? How do you know?’ the president pressed the journalist.
A pool of reporters follows the president everywhere he goes, so Trump’s moves are well-documented.
‘Do you want me to prove you wrong?’ Trump asked.
The president said he was open to the idea.
‘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 said.
Trump’s comments sparked speculation about where the president might be welcome in the liberal city.
President Donald Trump’s excursion to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab marks the first time Trump, as a sitting president, has gone to dinner in Washington outside of the steakhouse at the former Trump hotel
President Donald Trump raised his fist before entering Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on Tuesday night. A reporter last week asked if he would go out to eat in D.C. now that he’s proclaimed that the capital city is ‘safe’
During the first administration, several of his top aides were heckled and faced protesters at D.C. establishments.
Vance and Hegseth visited National Guard troops patrolling Union Station and brought them hamburgers from the train station’s Shake Shack, where they also attracted protesters.
The choice of Joe’s makes sense for its downtown location, politically mixed clientele and Florida origins.
Trump declared himself a Florida resident in 2019, moving his primary address from Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
While crime statistics show a downtick in D.C., the city’s restaurant owners have said they’ve suffered a drop in business since Trump deployed the National Guard last month.
