José Andrés Warns Trump It’s Not Crime Hurting DC Restaurants – It’s His Policies

(AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)

Celebrity chef José Andrés accused President Donald Trump of peddling a “flat out lie” in claiming half of Washington, D.C., restaurants had closed because of violent crime, warning that it was deportation policies and troop deployments that threatened the industry most.

The Spanish-born restaurateur, who lives in the capital and founded food aid non-profit World Central Kitchen, mocked the president’s comments on X as “confused” and said Trump had never “ONCE” eaten outside the White House or his own hotel during his time in office.

Andrés quote-tweeted Trump’s remarks from Monday when he boasted that his administration had “cleaned up crime” in the capital, insisting friends of his were only now willing to dine out.

“Half the restaurants closed, because nobody could go, because they were afraid to go outside,” he claimed.

But data from OpenTable reviewed by The Independent undermine that claim, showing reservations dropped sharply only after Trump ordered his National Guard deployment earlier this month.

Bookings fell 16 percent on Aug. 11, the day of his announcement, and slid further in subsequent days, with year-on-year comparisons showing drops of up to 31 percent.

The backlash prompted organizers to extend D.C.’s Summer Restaurant Week through Aug. 31, with more than 200 venues taking part in an effort to offset lost business.

In addition, restaurant workers have reported feeling nervous about turning up to work, fearing they’ll be targeted by the president’s immigration crackdown.

“They’re afraid of racial profiling,” D.C.-based Immigrant Food co-founder Tea Ivanovic told the Washingtonian. “They’re afraid of being stopped when they walk in groups, and we’ve all read the stories of people being picked up [despite] having legal status.”