The number of diners eating out in Washington DC has plummeted by almost a third since Donald Trump deployed federal troops to the city.

Restaurant attendance was down by 31 per cent on Wednesday compared to the previous year, according to data from the booking platform Open Table.

Mr Trump, who deployed the National Guard to Washington and took federal control of its police force last week, insisted on Monday that restaurants were “busier than they’ve been” in a long time.

The president claimed the move was necessary to restore order to the streets of a city “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals”, but in recent days protesters have clashed with law enforcement while patrons steer clear of local businesses.

Data from Open Table, an online platform used to make reservations, showed the number of bookings fell by 16 per cent on the first day of the National Guard deployment compared to 2024 levels.

Over the next two days this fell even further by 27 per cent on Tuesday and 31 per cent on Wednesday.