José Andrés is a chef and owner of several restaurants, including in Washington, D.C., and he’s also the founder of World Central Kitchen, which for many years has fed people in war zones and the sites of natural disasters.
Andrés was frequently at odds with Donald Trump during his first term, especially over immigration policy, and that has continued in his second term, especially since the president’s announcement of a “takeover” of the Washington, DC, police.
Mr. President @realdonaldtrump I understand why you are confused…all your time in DC you haven’t eaten ONCE outside the White House or your own hotel. I’ve lived here for 33 years, and it’s a flat out lie that half the restaurants have closed because of safety…but restaurants… https://t.co/7pWUm8ssbz
— Chef José Andrés 🕊️🥘🍳 (@chefjoseandres) August 26, 2025
As someone who runs restaurants in the nation’s capital, Andres has special insight into what’s currently going on in Washington, especially the implications of Trump and his advisor Stephen Miller, that Washington was an unlivable hellscape until relatively recently.
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Indeed, the Washington Post reported earlier this week that restaurant reservations in Washington had plunged in the early days of Trump’s crime crackdown.
DC restaurant reservations drop amid federal crackdown: “It’s like drowning & then someone throws a 100 lb weight to you” https://t.co/jkyIxD9xQn pic.twitter.com/HTytH87R6g
— Jim Russell (@ProducerCities) August 19, 2025
“Restaurant reservations have dropped in the city by as much as 31 percent year over year for a single day, according to restaurant booking data. Business owners are concerned that the continued surge in law enforcement could impact their revenue during a vital period of the summer,” the Post said.
Photo courtesy of the Political Tribune media library.
