Welcome to Washington, D.C., where even grabbing a burger can turn into a battle of political theater. In what can only be described as the world’s least intimidating “resistance movement,” bartenders and servers in the capital are vowing to make life inconvenient for members of the incoming Trump administration. Because, you know, nothing says “I’m fighting for democracy,” like delaying someone’s dessert by 20 minutes.
According to a Washingtonian article, this brigade of self-appointed culinary justice warriors has decided that passive-aggressive service is their moral obligation. “You expect the masses to just ignore RFK eating at Le Diplomate on a Sunday morning after a few mimosas and not throw a drink in his face?” pondered Zac Hoffman, a restaurant manager at the National Democratic Club. (First of all, Zac, the drink costs $16. Are you sure your virtue signaling is worth that much?)
And if you thought this was just about symbolic resistance, think again. Nancy, a fine-dining bartender, announced her strategy with all the gravitas of a revolutionary war hero: “This person theoretically has the power to take away your rights, but I have the power to make you wait 20 minutes to get your entrée.”
“There’s a lot of opportunities for us as workers to feel like we’re taking our power back while not necessarily ruining someone’s life. Giving them a subtle inconvenience feels like a little bit of a win for us,” she continued.
Truly, the stuff of history books. When pressed about whether this approach might inconvenience other diners or her employer, Nancy bravely declared she’d quit “on the spot” if asked to serve someone she didn’t like. Let’s hope she’s saved up because rent in D.C. doesn’t pay itself.
Suzannah Van Rooy of Beuchert’s Saloon echoed similar sentiments but with her own moral twist. “I personally would refuse to serve any person in office who I know of as being a sex trafficker or trying to deport millions of people.” That’s a bold claim, Suzannah. One hopes her legal evidence is as strong as her moral outrage.
And then there’s the anonymous host, who vowed to give Trump officials “bad tables” as a form of resistance. Because nothing screams justice like seating someone next to the bathroom. “They’ll still get polite service,” she clarified magnanimously. How noble.
It’s time to fire these dividers. It’s time to put a stop to their madness.
DC food workers vow Trump officials won’t feel welcomed when dining out in nation’s capital https://t.co/dlfT7sdJSz
— republicanolatino (@republicanolat) December 13, 2024
But not everyone is jumping on this gravy train of grievance. Joseph, another bartender, took a more pragmatic approach. He admitted he was disappointed by the election results but was looking forward to the higher tips that tend to come with serving Republicans. “I think my tip average from Republicans—at least ones that I or a coworker has recognized—is close to 30 percent. With Dems, I’m surprised if it’s over 20,” he told the Washingtonian, adding that Republicans tend to be lower maintenance patrons as well. Joseph revealed while lamenting the stingier habits of his Democratic patrons. Finally, some honesty.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen this act before. During Trump’s first term, officials like Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Ted Cruz were all harassed at D.C.-area restaurants by overzealous protesters. Rep. Maxine Waters even encouraged these antics, calling on supporters to make it impossible for Trump administration members to appear in public peacefully. (To her credit, she later walked that back—after public backlash.)
So here we are again, with a group of servers and bartenders gearing up to “resist” by inconveniencing diners and engaging in petty antics. While they’re busy plotting bad table placements, the rest of America might wonder if this energy could be better spent doing, well, anything else.
All this posturing only serves to highlight one thing: how performative modern politics has become. The Trump officials these workers plan to inconvenience will likely survive the horrors of delayed appetizers and passive-aggressive stares. Meanwhile, these servers and bartenders will have made their lives—and potentially their jobs—just a bit harder, all in the name of “resistance.” Bravo, D.C. Keep leading by example.
