A month after Donald Trump was confronted by protestors at a DC restaurant, top White House staffers are still concerned over how the leftists were able to get so close to the president.
The president’s ‘surprise’ September 9 trip to Joe’s, a glamorous seafood and steak restaurant blocks from the White House, was supposed to show how safe the district had become following Trump’s National Guard deployment to the city.
Instead, after a group of screaming protestors got within feet of the leader of the free world, it highlighted how the commander-in-chief’s personal security still has struggles securing the president.
Video of the incident shows leftist protestors from the group Code Pink screaming at the president as he sought to triumphantly celebrate a peaceful evening dinner in DC.
‘Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!’ the activists yelled at the president’s face.
The frenetic interaction later prompted a stern conversation between Trump’s top officials and US Secret Service (USSS) officials, according to Axios.
These officials have warned that drop-in visits by the president are much less likely after the abrasive interaction with protestors.
White House workers also remain suspicious about how Code Pink was able to ascertain Trump’s scheduled trip before it was publicized.
Pro-Palestinian protesters leave the restaurant Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab as the US president dines there in Washington, DC, on September 9, 2025
The fact that the protestors were able to get so close to the president reportedly infuriated Trump and ‘Ice Maiden’ White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
In the moments after the protestors began screaming, Vice President JD Vance moved closer to the table where the activists were to prompt USSS into action, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.
Eventually, two White House advance staffers ushered the screaming protestors away.
Trump can be seen in the videos just over an arm’s-length away from the protestors, who stood on the other side of a dinner table that had cutlery and plates set out for the president and his party.
The incident reportedly infuriated Trump and ‘Ice Maiden’ White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
White House officials also raised alarm over how close the knives on the dining table were to the protestors, Axios reports.
Wiles later brought USSS leadership into her office and reprimanded them for allowing unvetted protestors so close to the president. A similar situation must not be allowed to happen again, she reportedly reiterated.
The USSS did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
Trump administration officials are still scratching their heads, trying to figure out how Code Pink activists were able to discover what had been a private dinner plan.
President Trump and VP Vance went to the restaurant with other Cabinet members to emphasize how safe the city had become as a result of the National Guard deployment. Instead, the incident ended with protestors getting within feet of Trump
Code Pink protestors regularly interrupt hearings in Congress to advocate for leftist causes and protest Republicans
Some suggested to Axios that the restaurant staff may have tipped off the anti-war activists.
They are also considering how it could be someone else with insider knowledge, perhaps even a Trump administration staffer.
Code Pink officials have not been clear about how they heard about the unannounced visit. Instead, its representatives pointed to a local report highlighting how the group heard of rumors about the president’s visit without sharing any additional details.
Joe’s did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
