President Donald Trump’s recent crackdown on crime in Washington D.C. has galvanized some of his harshest critics.
But in a move the left his critics speechless, Trump took to the streets of the nation’s capital to prove just how much safer the city has becomes in a short amount of time.
Trump and members of his Cabinet dined out Tuesday evening in the heart of D.C. as he touted the “spectacular” outcome of his crime crackdown in the nation’s capital.
Trump and his team were spotting dining at D.C. hotspot Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab – an upscale establishment about a block away from the White House.
The night out marks the first time Trump has gone out to dinner in the district since the start of his second term.
“We’re standing right in the middle of DC, which, as you know, over the last year was a very unsafe place, over the last 20 years it was very unsafe, and now it’s got virtually no crime,” Trump told reporters outside the restaurant.
“I wouldn’t have done this three months ago, four months ago, I certainly wouldn’t have done it a year ago,” Trump continued.
“This was one of the most unsafe cities in the country. Now, it’s as safe as there is in the country.”
Trump, who was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urged bystanders and residents of D.C. to “go out” and enjoy the city amid the drop in crime.
“The restaurants now are booming. People are going out to dinner where they didn’t go out for years,” the president claimed, thanking the National Guard and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser for working with his team on the safety initiative.
“The outcome is really spectacular,” Trump said.
“We have a capital that’s very, very safe.”
Trump was greeted outside the restaurant by loud cheers from across the street along with a smattering of boos from nearby protestors.
The dinner comes after Trump was pressed by a reporter in the Oval Office last week about his lack of outings to D.C. restaurants during his first and second terms — a move Trump said he was ready to make.
“Do you want me to prove you wrong?” Trump fired back.
“I think it’s something we could consider doing. Love to do it,” he added.
“I love the White House food, but after a while, I could see going to a nice restaurant. It’s safe.”
Before entering the eatery, Trump teased an announcement coming “probably tomorrow” on the next city he plans to deploy the National Guard to.
Trump has previously floated the idea of sending troops to Chicago, Baltimore and New Orleans to assist local authorities in counteracting crime.
“We’re going to, very shortly, be working it out with the governor of a certain state, who would love us to be there, and the mayor of a certain city in that same state, who would love us to be there,” Trump said.
“We’ll announce it probably tomorrow, and it’s going to be something we will do like we did here.”