"Can You Eat in Peace?" Treasury Secretary Faces Public Protest at Restaurant... What Happened?

Anti-War Group Publicly Mocks Sanctions Policy
Secretary Bessent Pushes Back...
Some Argue, "It's a Matter of Etiquette, Not Just Politics"

Scott Bessent, the US Secretary of the Treasury, was publicly confronted by anti-war activists while dining at a restaurant in Washington, DC. Secretary Bessent strongly objected to the activists' mocking remarks, but when the restaurant staff failed to intervene, he eventually left the premises.

Scott Bessent, former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is protesting against Code Pink activists' demonstration while dining at a restaurant in Washington DC on the 17th. Screenshot from social media (SNS)

According to local media outlets such as the New York Post (NYP) and online media NOTUS, Secretary Bessent was dining at a restaurant in the Adams Morgan area of northwest Washington, DC, on December 18-19 (local time) when he was confronted by activists from the anti-war group CODEPINK. It was reported that there were numerous other guests present in the restaurant at the time.

At the scene, a female activist took the microphone and said, "I have an announcement. I propose a toast to our special guest, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent," adding, "Let us applaud this man who enjoys a peaceful meal while people around the world starve due to sanctions policies that amount to economic warfare." She went on to claim that "about 600,000 people die each year" as a result of US foreign sanctions policies, directly addressing Secretary Bessent in her remarks.

Scott Bessent, US Secretary of the Treasury. Photo by Yonhap News

In response, Secretary Bessent stopped eating, raised his wine glass, and shouted back, "You are ignorant. You don't even know how ignorant you are." He repeatedly asked the restaurant staff to stop the protest, but when the situation was not resolved, he left the restaurant visibly agitated. Journalists at the scene reported that Secretary Bessent appeared extremely angry.

A spokesperson for the US Treasury Department told the Washington Post (WP) in an interview, "The Secretary was shocked that the restaurant owner did not intervene, even though other patrons also booed the protesters," adding, "It is deeply regrettable that professional protesters disrupted the meals of so many guests." The Treasury Department also noted that during Secretary Bessent's tenure, sanctions have been enforced against Iran-backed armed groups, drug trafficking organizations, and individuals and companies linked to them.

CODEPINK is an organization that has consistently criticized US foreign, security, and sanctions policies. Recently, controversy has arisen over its financial ties to Chinese billionaire Neville Singham. Jodie Evans, a co-founder of CODEPINK, is known to be Singham's spouse.

This is not the first time Secretary Bessent has faced protests from activists while dining. He reportedly experienced a similar incident at another restaurant in Washington, DC, recently. Key figures in the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have also repeatedly encountered anti-government protests during private meals. Given Washington, DC's strong Democratic leanings, analysts note that senior officials are frequently confronted by protests in both public and private settings.

However, regardless of political stance, some have criticized such public "restaurant protests" as a matter of etiquette and public order, arguing that "everyone has the right to dine without being disturbed in a private space."