Prominent MAGA supporters are furious at the Secret Service following what they call a major security lapse during Donald Trump’s recent visit to an upscale seafood restaurant near the White House. The anger erupted after a protest group managed to heckle Trump directly, shouting at him just feet away during his dinner.
Trump was dining at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on Tuesday, accompanied by top Cabinet members including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth, who is jokingly referred to by some as the “Secretary of War.” The visit was intended to highlight the increased security in Washington, D.C., after Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops in the city.
Despite these security measures, protesters gathered both outside and inside the restaurant, catching the president off guard. The incident has raised serious questions among Trump loyalists about how protesters were able to get so close and why the Secret Service appeared slow to react to the disruption.
The visit took an unexpected turn when members of the activist group Code Pink interrupted the dinner, loudly chanting slogans like “Free D.C! Free Palestine!” and calling Trump “the Hitler of our time.” The president stood just feet away, calmly watching as the protesters voiced their outrage.
In the aftermath, many Trump supporters have raised serious concerns about the Secret Service’s handling of the situation. They’re questioning how the protesters were able to get so close to the president and why security agents seemed slow to respond to the disruption.
This incident comes as the 30-day emergency order, which gives the president control over local police in Washington, D.C., is set to expire at midnight on Wednesday. This order was put in place to bolster security amid heightened tensions in the city.
Despite the expiration of this order, National Guard troops from eight Republican-led states are expected to remain deployed in D.C. There’s little indication that Trump plans to ease up on the city’s security presence anytime soon or send the guards home.
Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, a vocal MAGA supporter, publicly questioned whether the Secret Service had leaked President Trump’s dining location to the protest group Code Pink. She expressed serious concerns about how the activists were allowed to get so close to the president during the dinner.
“How are they allowed that close to him? Where was Secret Service and was there someone in Secret Service that leaked his location? This needs to be looked into,” Luna wrote on X, highlighting the suspicion growing within MAGA circles.
Pro-Trump podcaster Graham Allen also chimed in, questioning how Code Pink was able to get so near to Trump. He emphasized that the dinner was a private event, making the protesters’ proximity and ability to shout at the president all the more alarming.
“How did Code Pink get so close to our president? How did Code Pink know he would be there? This was NOT a public event. Why were they able to SHOUT and YELL at the president for so long?!?” Allen posted, reflecting the frustration felt by many Trump loyalists.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer took things a step further, suggesting the security breach was so severe that it could have had even more serious consequences. Loomer pointed out that House Speaker Mike Johnson, who stands behind Vice President JD Vance in the presidential line of succession, could have become president if something worse had happened.
“Someone at Secret Service needs to be fired for this one. Is there a HAMAS sympathizer working at the U.S. Secret Service? Who let those rabid HAMAS lovers inside while Trump was in the restaurant? We need to find out and expose them,” Loomer wrote, demanding accountability and raising intense suspicions within the MAGA community.
“This is unacceptable,” critics said, expressing outrage over the security lapse. “The president could have been assassinated tonight. Someone could have stabbed or shot him.” The incident sparked serious fears about the risks Trump faced during the dinner.
This outing marked Trump’s first dinner in Washington, D.C. as president outside of his own hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. The event was meant to show confidence in the city’s security following the deployment of National Guard troops.
According to Olivia DiNucci, Code Pink’s D.C. organizer, the group booked a table at the upscale restaurant on short notice. Their plan was clear: to confront the president directly, even if it meant sitting just feet away in a place where a single serving of king crab claws can cost nearly $160.
Olivia DiNucci, the organizer for Code Pink in D.C., explained that the group initially believed only Trump would be at the dinner. They didn’t expect the full Cabinet to attend, nor did they think the president would be seated in such an open, accessible area. “We were placed really close to them,” she said, highlighting how unexpectedly near they ended up to the president and his team.
This incident has brought renewed criticism of the Secret Service, which has faced backlash before for serious security lapses. In July 2024, during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman managed to climb onto a roof and open fire at Trump, causing a minor injury to his ear. That event raised questions about how effectively the agency protects the president.
Given the latest incident at the restaurant, many are once again demanding answers about how such a breach could happen so soon after previous failures. The concerns about Trump’s safety have only intensified as a result.
The White House and the Secret Service have been contacted by the Daily Beast for comment but have yet to respond. Meanwhile, the debate over presidential security continues to heat up.
