President Donald Trump can’t even sit down for a meal without the theater of the left barging in.
On Tuesday night, he and key cabinet members—Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—headed to Joe’s Seafood in Washington, D.C. The visit was partly a response to reporters who had pressed Trump about avoiding restaurants in the capital. His reply? “Do you want me to prove you wrong?” Moments later, he did.
But as soon as Trump stepped from his motorcade, the jeering began. Boos, curses, and even a “f*** you” rang out from bystanders. And then came the crescendo: a group of Code Pink activists stormed into the restaurant itself, chanting, “Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time!”
Trump booed as he enters Joe’s Seafood a block from the White House. pic.twitter.com/oGVWj0pPmp
— Jessica Sidman (@jsidman) September 9, 2025
The footage, captured by one of the agitators, shows Trump walking calmly toward his table before stopping, turning to face the camera, and breaking into a grin. Rather than rattled, he looked entertained. A flick of his hand to security—“Come on”—was enough. Within seconds, the protesters were being ushered back out the door, their chants echoing against the clinking of dinnerware.
It was a classic moment of contrast. On one side, a sitting president—surrounded by his cabinet, unfazed, projecting command. On the other, Code Pink activists reduced to shouting slogans that could have been ripped from a college protest circa 2003. Some patrons even booed the activists themselves, signaling just how thin the patience has worn for political theater interrupting everyday life.
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.”
Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and JD Vance seen alongside Trump for the dinner. pic.twitter.com/icBKF2j5Uu
— Prem Thakker (@prem_thakker) September 10, 2025
Medea Benjamin, the cofounder of Code Pink, took credit afterward, bragging that her group had “disrupted” Trump’s dinner, and repeating the “Hitler” smear that has become the left’s favorite shorthand for political opponents. But outside their own echo chamber, the stunt played less like a blow against power and more like a sad sideshow.
The irony, of course, is that Trump’s presence in D.C. right now is backed by a massive security clampdown—National Guard deployments, federal law enforcement surges, and tighter controls on protests. Yet even in that environment, Code Pink managed only a few noisy minutes before being shuffled out, accomplishing little besides handing Trump another chance to show he cannot be rattled.
