Food workers in Washington, D.C., vowed to resist the incoming Trump administration by refusing service or creating inconveniences for officials dining out over the next four years.
Bartenders, servers, and industry veterans said resistance in the progressive city was inevitable. "You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning and not throw a drink in his face?" said Zac Hoffman, a manager at the National Democratic Club.
Some workers promised to shun certain officials or engage in subtle acts of defiance to reclaim a sense of control. "This person theoretically has the power to take away your rights, but I have the power to make you wait 20 minutes for your entrée," said Nancy, a fine-dining bartender.
Nancy said she would refuse to serve specific Trump officials, even if it meant quitting on the spot. "It’s little bits of resistance that add up," she explained. "Others will see and hopefully feel empowered to stand by their convictions too."
Suzannah Van Rooy, a manager at Beuchert’s Saloon, also pledged to deny service to officials whose views clashed with her moral beliefs. "It’s not, ‘Oh, we hate Republicans.’ It’s about opposing their moral convictions," she said.
One anonymous host said she planned to identify Trump officials online and assign them undesirable tables. "It’s subtle, but it’s something," she said. "A bad table feels minor compared to the harm they’ll inflict."
Not all workers intended to resist. Joseph, a bartender, said he was disappointed by the election but looked forward to better tips. "Republicans tip around 30 percent. With Democrats, I’m surprised if it’s over 20," he said.
These comments echo Trump’s first term when officials faced hostility in D.C. restaurants. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was ejected from a Virginia eatery, and Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled at a Mexican restaurant in 2018.
Later that year, Ted Cruz and his wife were also chased out of a D.C. restaurant. At the time, Rep. Maxine Waters urged supporters to confront Trump officials in public, though she later softened her stance.