A New York Times reporter was roasted after attempting to link increased law enforcement in Washington, D.C., to a decline in restaurant business.
New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker highlighted a story about a 25 percent drop in reservations from last year’s Restaurant Week, putting the blame for the decline on the presence of the National Guard in the nation’s capital, and ignoring the noteworthy drop in crime.
Baker resurfaced with his narrative despite being ripped over his take last week, when he was called out for comparing data from the 2024 Summer Restaurant Week to a non-Restaurant Week this year. On Tuesday, Baker, who joined The Times in 2008 after two decades at The Washington Post, took to X to share an article headlined, “As Troops Walk the Streets, Washington Restaurants Report a Slump.”
With troops sent by Trump into the streets of Washington, reservations to restaurants for this year’s Restaurant Week are 24% lower than those during Restaurant Week 2024. There was also a 7% drop from the week before troops arrived, Korsha Wilson reports. https://t.co/HrdHozla7H
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) August 26, 2025
“With the deployment of the National Guard, owners say business is down drastically,” the Times story claimed, with author Korsha Wilson focusing on the “business owners in the city who trace falling traffic to the presence of some 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement officers.”
Wilson claimed the restaurant owners are “trying to encourage diners to visit their restaurants despite the images of soldiers on the streets and of people being detained by armed agents.”
“Data from the reservation service OpenTable shows that reservations to Washington restaurants for this year’s promotion are 24 percent lower than those during Restaurant Week 2024, held at the same time last year. This year, there was also a 7 percent drop from the week before the arrival of the National Guard,” the article stated.
After paragraphs of whining about the drop in sales, Wilson finally revealed that other restaurateurs “say a crackdown on crime is long overdue.”
Many on X slammed Baker last week for the “fake narrative.”
Peter Baker caught sharing ANOTHER fake narrative.
Last year, DC Restaurant week began on Aug 12.
This year, DC Restaurant week began on Aug 18.
He’s comparing data from restaurant week last year to a non-restaurant week this year. https://t.co/4kpKCThzne
— Abigail Jackson (@ATJackson47) August 19, 2025
Baker doubled down in sharing the latest Times story on the issue, and X users called him and others out for failing to note the safety in neighborhoods since the federalization ordered by President Trump.
What an incredibly tone-deaf, elitist take. No murders in nearly two weeks, but……RESTAURANT WEEK. Honestly, this is an awful look.
— Adam Geller (@adamhgeller) August 26, 2025
No murders for 12 days but this asshole demands people die because Trump bad https://t.co/SncJmEXvsv
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) August 26, 2025
But reservations are down! Certainly a few people can die to save the restaurant industry.
— Jesse Miller (@jmiller_dot_com) August 26, 2025
In the full context of the stats, Baker is definitely cherry picking.
— Like’emCrawdads (@ThisBeLikeThat) August 26, 2025
This is a creative as hell way to look at crime statistics. Truly ground breaking. Stuff.
— The CoonDawg™️ (@CopiahDawg) August 26, 2025
Bro this is getting embarrassing
— Joe Jackson (@joe_jack1988) August 26, 2025
Even the “source” of this claim says this isn’t true pic.twitter.com/c1PDeO3khV
— Speaking My Mind (@sherryande) August 26, 2025
Imagine a brain so broken that you’d stop going out to eat because of visible law enforcement presence.
— often uncommon ☠️ (@oftenuncommon) August 26, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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