Fact Check: Did Jose Andres say Trump lied about DC restaurants closing due to crime?

WASHINGTON, DC: Social media posts and viral memes allege that celebrity chef Jose Andres called out Donald Trump for “lying” about Washington, DC, restaurants shuttering due to crime, warning that eateries could instead close because of armed troops and federal agents.

The claim spread widely after Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the nation’s capital and deployed the National Guard.

Claim: Jose Andres slammed Trump, said DC restaurants fear troops, not crime

On Tuesday, August 25, Trump claimed that “half” of DC’s restaurants were closing and only reopened because he sent in the National Guard to tackle crime.

Soon after, viral posts — including one by Occupy Democrats — alleged that Andres publicly rebuked Trump, calling his statement false and warning that heavy troop presence would hurt business.

Screenshots circulating online quoted Andres as saying restaurants would close not from crime but from “troops with guns and federal agents harassing people.”

Fact Check: True, Jose Andres and local data refute Trump’s restaurant safety claims

Andres posted the remarks on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, responding directly to Trump’s comments. He wrote that he has lived in DC for 33 years and called Trump’s assertion “a flat out lie,” noting that while crime is not shuttering restaurants, fear of immigration raids and militarized policing is discouraging workers and customers alike. 

Local reporting backs up Andres’ account. The Washingtonian, The New York Times, and WUSA9 all documented restaurant operators saying business slumped after Trump’s “crime emergency” announcement and the surge of federal agents.

The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington confirmed a sharp dip in reservations in mid-August, though it attributed part of the decline to seasonal patterns.

Data from OpenTable showed that reservations fell by 24% year-over-year during the 2025 Summer Restaurant Week before later rebounding. 

Crime statistics further contradict Trump’s narrative. Violent crime in DC hit a 30-year low in 2024, according to official records, undermining his claim of a city under siege.

Jose Andres warns militarized crackdowns scare DC workers and diners

Trump announced the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to DC on August 11, 2025, citing rampant lawlessness. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local officials disputed his claim, acknowledging crime spikes in 2023 but rejecting the idea of a current wave.

White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on X that the dip in restaurant reservations stemmed from this year’s later kickoff date for the annual event — August 18 instead of August 12 in 2024 — and dismissed claims linking it to federal intervention as “fake news.”

Andres, a world-renowned chef and humanitarian who has operated restaurants in DC for decades, argued that militarized crackdowns would scare workers and patrons, particularly immigrants, more than crime would.

Reports indicated that over 300 people were arrested by ICE during the August sweep, with delivery drivers and restaurant staff describing harassment and profiling. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.