Celebrity Chef Jose Andrés Exposes Trump’s ‘Flat Out Lie’ About D.C. Restaurants With Receipts

It’s not every day that a world-renowned chef clashes with a president but that’s exactly what just happened in Washington, D.C.

Celebrity chef José Andrés, founder of the global food charity World Central Kitchen, publicly slammed President Donald Trump for what he called a “flat out lie” about the state of restaurants in the nation’s capital.

The controversy began when Trump told reporters that crime had gotten so bad in D.C. that “half the restaurants closed, because nobody could go, because they were afraid to go outside.” He claimed his administration had fixed the problem, boasting that people were finally returning to dine out again.

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But Andrés wasn’t having it.

On X (formerly Twitter), the chef fired back:

“Mr. President… I understand why you are confused… all your time in D.C. you haven’t eaten ONCE outside the White House or your own hotel. I’ve lived here 33 years, and it’s a flat out lie that half the restaurants have closed because of safety.”

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He went even further, saying the president’s own decision to flood the city with troops and federal agents was what really scared people away from restaurants.

And the numbers back him up. Data from OpenTable shows seated reservations dropped sharply after Trump announced he would deploy 800 National Guard members to D.C. Reservations fell:

• 16% on August 11 (day of the announcement)

• 27% on August 12

• 31% on August 13

• 29% on August 14

• 25% on August 15

Local businesses were hit so hard that organizers of Summer Restaurant Week one of the city’s biggest dining events extended it by an extra week to help struggling restaurants. More than 230 of the 380 participating restaurants have signed on to continue through August 31.

For Andrés, this fight isn’t just about politics it’s about protecting the local restaurant community he’s been part of for more than three decades. And for many in D.C., it’s a reminder that words from the White House can have very real consequences for businesses and workers on the ground.

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