Washington, D.C. – A group of antiwar activists from Code Pink confronted President Donald Trump face-to-face during his first public dinner outing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, turning a symbolic show of the city’s safety into a tense standoff.
The protesters, who secured a last-minute reservation after learning of Trump’s plans, chanted “Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time” and “Stop terrorizing communities all over the world,” holding Palestinian flags as Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dined nearby.
The incident, captured in videos shared on social media, drew cheers from some diners and boos from others, highlighting divisions over Trump’s federal law enforcement takeover of the capital and his foreign policies.
The Confrontation at Joe’s Seafood
Trump’s motorcade arrived at the upscale restaurant, located just two blocks from the White House at 750 15th St. NW, around 7:30 p.m. on September 9, marking his first visit to a non-White House eatery in D.C. during his second term. Accompanied by Vance, Rubio, Hegseth, and other officials, Trump aimed to demonstrate the city’s improved safety following his August federalization of D.C. police and deployment of the National Guard.
Outside, a crowd of about 50 gathered, cheering Trump with “USA!” chants while others booed and yelled “F— you!”
Inside, Code Pink activists, led by D.C. organizer Olivia DiNucci, were seated near the group’s table in the open dining room. DiNucci said, “We thought it was just going to be Trump, we didn’t know that it was all of his Cabinet, and we didn’t think they would be in such an open room—we thought he’d be in a different area—and we were placed really close to them.”
Videos posted by Code Pink on X show the protesters standing, waving Palestinian flags, and shouting as Trump entered. One clip, shared by Prem Thakker of Zeteo, shows Trump smiling briefly before gesturing to staff to remove them.
DiNucci said in a Code Pink statement, “While Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and others feasted at a steakhouse, we stood our ground and told them the truth: Free DC. Free Palestine. Trump is the Hitler of our time. Two years into genocide, Gaza is under evacuation orders, Puerto Rico and Venezuela are in crisis, and DC is under military occupation.”
The activists were escorted out after about five minutes, with some diners applauding Trump and booing the protesters.
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Code Pink’s Strategy and Trump’s Response
Code Pink, a self-described pacifist feminist organization founded in 2002, learned of Trump’s plans through “local sources” and booked a reservation for six at the restaurant, which features high-end dishes like half-dozen oysters for $24 and seared red snapper for $47.
DiNucci noted, “[They] sat down right next to us, and people were giving them an applause. We were saying, ‘Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time’—saying that we need troops out of everywhere.” She added, “For us, it’s the fact that he’s eating food that is grown, picked, transported, by the very same people that his regime is abducting from their neighborhoods and terrorizing, at the same time funding and supporting the forced starvation and genocide of the Palestinian people.”
Trump, speaking to reporters outside before entering, boasted, “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,” crediting his policies.
After the confrontation, he waved to the crowd and told reporters, “Here I am standing out in the middle of the street. I wouldn’t have done this three months ago… This was one of the most unsafe cities in the country. Now it’s as safe as there is in the country.” Secret Service agents ensured the protesters were removed without incident, and no arrests were made, per CNN.
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What People Are Saying
The dinner was Trump’s first public outing to a non-owned D.C. restaurant in his second term, following criticism from chef José Andrés on August 26, who called Trump’s safety claims a “flat out lie” after 33 years in the city. Trump responded to Andrés by saying, “Do you want me to prove you wrong?” prompting the visit.
The restaurant, part of the Joe’s Stone Crab chain with roots in Miami Beach near Mar-a-Lago, specializes in seafood and steak, with crab dishes exceeding $100.
On X, reactions were polarized. Code Pink’s video post received 150,000 views and 20,000 likes, with supporters like @prem_thakker sharing footage of Trump staring down the protesters, captioning, “People confront Donald Trump at a DC restaurant. He smiles at the camera as they chant ‘Free DC, free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.’” Critics, including @RonFilipkowski, posted, “Holy shit. Protestors have started shouting at Trump inside the restaurant.”
Trump supporters like @RapidResponse47 shared clips of diners cheering Trump, stating, “@POTUS is greeted with cheers as he dines in D.C.: ‘We have a safe city. Enjoy yourselves — you won’t be mugged going home. Have a good time, everybody. Don’t drink too much.’” Hashtags #TrumpDinner and #CodePinkProtest trended.
Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin was spotted protesting outside, chanting in support of Hamas, per The Gateway Pundit, drawing criticism from pro-Israel groups. DiNucci said, “Trump looked us in the eyes, and we made sure he would never dine in peace while communities are under siege.”
🚨 BREAKING: A “Free Palestine” protester shouted “Trump is Hitler” at the President as he entered Joe’s Seafood in D.C. Trump stared the protester down and appeared to mock them before walking inside. pic.twitter.com/xSpbuD6O0d
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) September 10, 2025
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Why It Matters
The confrontation shows tensions over Trump’s D.C. policies, including the August National Guard deployment and police federalization, credited with a 25% crime drop but criticized as “military occupation” by activists. It ties to Trump’s foreign policy, including U.S. support for Israel amid Gaza operations, with Code Pink protesting “genocide” and U.S. aid.
The incident follows Trump’s September 6 “Department of WAR” post targeting Chicago and Epstein files releases, amplifying perceptions of an administration under protest.
Trump’s rare public dining, his first since the now-closed steakhouse in his Pennsylvania Avenue hotel during his first term, aimed to counter safety doubts but highlighted divisions.
As Trump promotes his D.C. crackdown, protests like Code Pink’s may intensify, testing security and public tolerance. With 2026 midterms approaching, the event could galvanize antiwar voters while rallying Trump’s base on law and order. Code Pink vowed more actions, stating, “We will continue to disrupt until justice is served,” per their X post.
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