President Donald Trump's rare dinner outing to a local restaurant in DC was met with an immense backlash, as he came face to face with protesters.
Accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and other administration officials on Tuesday, September 8, Trump arrived by motorcade at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, near the White House.
The president briefly spoke to reporters present outside the venue, where he was met with cheers and some chants of "Free Palestine."
Once he made it inside and greeted restaurant patrons, the Republican was met with chants of "Fee D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time," from a group of protesters.
In a viral video, Trump is seen approaching the protesters and smiling, following which he makes a gesture to leave. The group was escorted out of the restaurant as a protester shouted, "He's terrorising communities in D.C."
Ahead of the disruption, Trump credited himself for the surge in DC restaurant's attendance, sharing that the city is now "crime free" after his crackdown on crime in Washington, which has included an increase in federal law enforcement and the National Guard troops deployment.
The restaurant appearance came a few days after a reporter asked Donald Trump whether he would dine out in DC, noting that he had not gone for dinner outside during either of his terms as president, though he regularly ate at Trump International Hotel during his first four years in office.