Washington, Sep 10 : US President Donald Trump was heckled by a group of protesters on Tuesday evening at a prominent restaurant in Washington, DC.

In a video aired by CNN, the agitators shouted, 'Free DC! Free Palestine! Trump is the Hitler of our time!' as Trump approached them without offering a response.

He then gestured to his security staff to get the area cleared, saying, 'Come on, let's go.'

Accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump headed to Joe's Seafood, a popular eatery just blocks from the White House.

It was the first time Trump stepped out of the White House for a meal in his second term. In his last tenure, he only dined in his own hotel in the capital.

An activist group, Code Pink, took responsibility for the heckling and posted on X, 'While Trump, JD Vance, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth and others feasted at a steakhouse, we stood our ground and told them the truth: Free DC. Free Palestine. Trump is the Hitler of our time.'

The post added, 'Trump looked us in the eyes, we made sure he will never dine in peace while communities are under siege.'

The restaurant visit was aimed at promoting Trump's assertion that the US capital has become safer since the deployment of federal troops last month.

Before the protest, Trump addressed the media outside the venue, saying, 'We have a capital that's very, very safe right now.'

'The restaurants now are booming. People are going out to dinner where they didn't go out for years, and it's a safe city,' he told the media just outside the restaurant,' he added.

Laura Loomer, a prominent conservative voice, lashed out at the protest, pointing to security threats.

'Where the hell is @SecretService. How did they get within inches of him? This is insane. How did this happen!'? she posted on X.

/IANS