Despite the president’s claim that D.C. restaurants have been “busier” since his administration announced its federal crackdown on crime via law enforcement, recent data shows the opposite.

President Donald Trump on Monday declared Washington, D.C., safe again, a week after he announced a federal crackdown amid claims about crime in the nation’s capital.

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Despite Trump’s claim that D.C. restaurants have been “busier” since his administration announced its federal crackdown on law enforcement, recent data shows the opposite.

According to data from OpenTable, restaurants in D.C. have seen a 25% drop in diners since Trump’s Aug. 11 announcements, including invoking the D.C. Home Rule Act to federalize the city’s local police department. WUSA9 reports that restaurant reservations were 27% below their 2024 levels the day after the president’s announcement. On Wednesday, Aug. 13, reservations dipped by 31%.

The main drag in Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood is typically crammed with people peddling pupusas, fresh fruit, souvenirs and clothing. On Tuesday, though, things felt different: The white tents that bulge with food and merchandise were scarcer than usual.

“Everything has stopped over the last week,” said Yassin Yahyaoui, who sells jewelry and glass figurines. Most of his customers and fellow vendors, he said, have “just disappeared” — particularly if they speak Spanish.

The abnormally quiet street was one of many pieces of evidence showing how President Donald Trump 's decision to flood the nation's capital with federal law enforcement and immigration agents has rippled through the city. While troop deployments and foot patrols in downtown areas and around the National Mall have gotten the most attention, life in historically diverse neighborhoods like Columbia Heights is being reshaped as well.

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Glorida Gomez, who has been working a fruit stand in Columbia Heights for more than a decade, said business is worse now than during the COVID-19 pandemic. She said many vendors stopped coming because they were afraid of interacting with federal agents.

Customers seem less willing to spend money too. Reina Sosa, another vendor, said "they’re saving it in case something happens,” like getting detained by immigration enforcement.

Ana Lemus, who also sells fruit, said “we need more humanity on the part of the government.”

“Remember that these are people being affected,” she said. “The government is supposed to protect members of the community, not attack or discriminate against them.”