Pro-Palestinian protesters jeer Trump, call him Hitler

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s rare public dinner in the capital turned chaotic when pro-Palestinian protesters confronted him inside a Washington restaurant Tuesday night, chanting slogans and comparing him to “Hitler of our time.”

Trump, joined by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior officials, arrived by motorcade at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, located just a short distance from the White House.

Speaking briefly to reporters outside, Trump received cheers from some bystanders, while others shouted “Free Palestine.” Once inside, as he greeted diners, a group of demonstrators holding Palestinian flags erupted in chants: “Free D.C., free Palestine, Trump is the Hitler of our time.”

Trump “unhappy” over Israeli strike on Qatar

The activist group Code Pink later claimed responsibility for the protest.

Videos shared online show Trump walking toward the demonstrators, smiling, and then gesturing for them to leave. Security personnel escorted the protesters out as one shouted, “He’s terrorizing communities in D.C.”

The White House did not immediately issue a comment on the incident.

Trump, however, has recently boasted that dining in Washington has surged because of his crime crackdown, which includes a heavier federal law enforcement presence and the deployment of National Guard troops. Speaking before entering the restaurant, he declared D.C. “crime-free” and hinted that a similar initiative could soon begin in another US city.

“We wanted to take some Cabinet members out to dinner, and here we are — right in the heart of D.C.,” Trump told reporters. “For the last 20 years, this city was unsafe. Over the last year, it was especially unsafe. But now, there’s virtually no crime.”

The dinner marked a rare public restaurant visit for Trump, who had previously preferred private settings. During his first term, he was a regular at the Trump International Hotel but avoided other D.C. restaurants.

Just days earlier, when asked by a reporter if he planned to dine out, Trump responded, “I might,” before adding with a smile, “Do you want me to prove you wrong?”

Read more: Will Shabana Mahmood’s visa threat impact Pakistan?