The restaurant attendance in Washington, D.C., has significantly declined since federal troops were deployed to the city, according to data from Open Table. In the week following the deployment ordered by President Trump on August 11, restaurant attendance dropped daily compared to the same week in 2024, with a notable 31% decrease on Wednesday, just two days after the announcement of national guard patrols. This decline coincides with claims made by Trump regarding increased violence in the capital, despite official statistics indicating that violent crime is at a 30-year low.
Specifically, Open Table’s data indicates that online reservations were down by 16% on Monday, 27% on Tuesday, and 31% on Wednesday. The Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week, typically held in mid-August and aimed at encouraging dining out, began on the following Monday; however, the impact of this annual event on the year-over-year attendance change remains unclear.
In response to the deployment of troops, Democratic lawmakers introduced a resolution aimed at challenging what they described as an infringement on D.C. home rule. Congressman Jamie Raskin criticized Trump’s actions, suggesting they may serve as a distraction from ongoing controversies related to Trump’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Raskin noted the administration’s failure to fulfill promises regarding the release of documents related to Epstein’s prosecution.
Comments from other Democratic leaders echoed Raskin’s sentiment, framing the troop deployment as a strategic diversion from pressing economic issues and criticisms surrounding health care policies, particularly significant budget cuts to Medicaid. Some officials asserted that the actions taken by Trump were intended to shift public focus away from more pressing matters affecting the nation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/18/trump-washington-dc-national-guard-restaurants