White House flags Marjorie Taylor Greene over possible protest tip at Trump dinner

Marjorie Taylor Greene rejected the White House claim, calling it false and said Secret Service lapses, not leaks, allowed protesters near Donald Trump
PUBLISHED JAN 10, 2026
Marjorie Taylor Greene was accused of involvement in the disruption of Donald Trump’s private dinner with senior officials (Getty Images)
Marjorie Taylor Greene was accused of involvement in the disruption of Donald Trump’s private dinner with senior officials (Getty Images)


WASHINGTON, DC: The White House reportedly informed the US Secret Service that former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene may have been responsible for a security leak that allowed protesters to interrupt President Donald Trump during a private dinner last year on Tuesday, September 9.

Trump was confronted by protesters while dining at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab near the White House. Demonstrators chanted “Free DC” and “Free Palestine,” and called him “the Hitler of our time.”

The president was accompanied at the dinner by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior administration officials.

U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet and administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, arrive for dinner at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab on September 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump dined away from the White House as his crime emergency order — which included the deployment of National Guard troops and a surge of federal law enforcement officers — comes to a close. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Donald Trump arrived for dinner with cabinet members including JD Vance and Pete Hegseth at Joe’s Seafood in Washington (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

White House alleged Marjorie Taylor Greene leaked Trump dinner location

According to two sources familiar with the matter, the White House told the Secret Service that Marjorie Taylor Greene might have tipped off Code Pink protesters about Trump’s dinner location last fall. That alleged disclosure enabled demonstrators to confront the president inside the restaurant and disrupt his meal. 

Greene, once regarded as a close ally within Trump’s political orbit, had experienced a public falling out with him prior to the incident. While she had recommended the restaurant to Trump, Greene has insisted she did not know he would be dining there that night.

Responding to the reported allegation, Greene told Axios the claim was “an absolute lie, a dangerous lie.” She categorically denied providing any information to Code Pink, saying, “I would never do that.” 

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., speaks during a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Marjorie Taylor Greene spoke during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Greene also addressed the accusation on her X account, stating that she had no involvement in the protest and emphasizing that the White House, not she, arranged Trump’s reservation at Joe’s. “Only the WH set up President Trump’s reservation at Joe’s, NOT ME!! I had ZERO knowledge of when his reservation was!” she wrote.

She further argued that the only plausible sources of a leak would have been the restaurant or the White House itself. Greene criticized the Secret Service’s handling of security that evening, claiming agents failed to follow standard procedures such as sweeping the restaurant beforehand and installing metal detectors.

According to Greene, properly screening those present would have prevented protesters from getting close to Trump. Following the confrontation, the president said demonstrators should be jailed after Code Pink activists held signs and shouted slogans during his dinner.



Greene also suggested the allegation was politically motivated, saying the White House was retaliating against her for criticizing Trump and pushing for the release of files related to convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Code Pink denied Marjorie Taylor Greene tipped off activists

While the White House reportedly raised concerns internally, others directly involved rejected the claim that Greene shared any information with Code Pink.

Melissa Garriga, a spokesperson for the activist group, told Axios that Greene did not alert Code Pink to Trump’s dinner location. She dismissed the allegation outright, saying it “absolutely did not happen, to the point it is comical.”

Greene has previously acknowledged having a relationship with Code Pink through her friendship with co-founder Medea Benjamin. She has also aligned with the group on certain issues, including opposition to US military spending in Ukraine and Israel, despite stark political differences.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 09: Protesters demonstrate in front of Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab as U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet and administration dine inside on September 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump dined away from the White House as his crime emergency order — which included the deployment of National Guard troops and a surge of federal law enforcement officers — comes to a close. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Protesters demonstrated outside Joe’s Seafood as Donald Trump dined inside with members of his administration (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The episode has drawn broader attention due to the visible deterioration in Greene’s relationship with Trump. Once a vocal MAGA firebrand, Greene publicly broke with the former president over policy disagreements, including tax legislation and his handling of economic matters.

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