Trump’s military occupation of D.C. is hurting local businesses too
Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital and forcing a federal law enforcement takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is not only terrorizing residents and workers, it’s also harming local businesses. Washington, D.C., restaurants are experiencing significant drops in reservations, and bars are seeing fewer customers.
Online reservations for D.C. restaurants plunged more than 25 percent in the days immediately after Trump announced the takeover of D.C. police for the first time in the country’s history, according to OpenTable data, WUSA 9’s Jordan Fischer reported.
Trump announced the authoritarian occupation on Monday, and OpenTable reservations decreased by 16 percent compared to the same day last year. By Tuesday, reservations were down 27 percent. By Wednesday, that number rose to 31 percent.
NEW: Reservations at D.C. restaurants dropped 16% YoY the day Trump announced his police takeover. The next day, 27%. By Day 3 they were down 31% compared to 2024.
It couldn't come at a worse time. D.C. Summer Restaurant Week starts… tomorrow. www.wusa9.com/article/news…
— Jordan Fischer (@jordanonrecord.bsky.social) Aug 17, 2025 at 1:45 PM
This is not part of a national trend. Nationally, restaurants saw 12 percent gains in OpenTable reservations. [Continue reading…]