Pro-Palestinian activists disrupted U.S. President Donald Trump during a dinner Tuesday night at Joe’s Seafood in Washington, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans including “Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!.”
Videos of the protest quickly went viral, drawing millions of views online. Trump, however, appeared unfazed, continuing with his remarks and later praising his security initiative in the U.S. capital. “Washington was one of the most dangerous cities in the country; now it’s as safe as anywhere,” he said.
Pro-Palestinian protesters accost US President Donald Trump at a Washington DC restaurant
Footage showed Vice President J.D. Vance greeting diners and shaking hands, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also joined the president at the dinner. Eating dinner in public is a rare event for Trump, according to the White House, which reported he enjoyed a meal of crab, shrimp, salad, steak and dessert.
The demonstrators were affiliated with Code Pink, a women-led anti-war movement. The group later wrote on Instagram: “Trump looked us in the eyes. We promised he would never eat in peace while communities are under siege.”
Secret Service agents had carried out security checks ahead of Trump’s arrival, preventing walk-in customers without reservations from entering.
The dinner came as Trump highlighted what he called the success of his law-and-order “operation” in Washington, which involved deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to the capital and placing the city’s police under temporary federal control to counter what he described as “a wave of crime.” Earlier this year, he had taken a similar approach in Los Angeles, sending 5,000 Guard troops following protests against federal immigration raids — a move that triggered sharp local opposition.