The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, expressed his gratitude to the National Guard mobilized in DC ahead of the 4th of July holiday weekend.
Hegseth was joined by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and White House Advisor Stephen Miller at the event.
According to the War Department, approximately 5,000 guardsmen are participating in the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission, with half of them recently called up to support the Independence Day celebrations.
The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission was established by a presidential executive order in March 2025 and aims to coordinate with law enforcement and urban maintenance to reduce crime, increase immigration enforcement, and beautify public spaces and monuments across the city.
Thanks to the efforts of President Trump and the National Guard, DC has seen a significant decline in crime rates, with homicides down 44% and robberies down 20% compared to previous years.
However, the event was disrupted by far-left protestors from the 'Free DC' group, who used whistles, horns, and shouted at Hegseth as he honored the troops.
Hegseth responded to the protestors by saying, "Thank you for being here, for backing us up along the way. To the entire team, to the soldiers here, thank you for everything you're doing. Thank you for waiting out here in the sun."
In response to the protestors, Hegseth blasted them for their behavior, saying, "This background noise this morning is perfect. It's the sound of ingrates, of ingratitude, of people who are so blinded by ideology they can't see law and order and common sense in front of them."
Hegseth emphasized that the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission is not ideological or political, but rather a necessary effort to maintain law and order in the city, which is a right that all Americans deserve, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.
