A journalist who was pistol-whipped at the age of 23 in Washington, D.C., thanked President Donald Trump for cracking down on crime in the nation’s capital, sharing her story in front of the president’s cabinet and the national media.
On Tuesday, the president invited Iris Tao, the White House Correspondent for NTD News, to share her story during his cabinet meeting.
Tao said that two years ago, she was held at gunpoint by a man in a black ski mask who demanded that she hand over her personal belongings, including a laptop and her purse. She refused, she said, and he struck her in the face with the butt of his handgun.
Thankfully, Tao survived, but “my family was extremely worried,” she said.
“It’s really amazing that you weren’t shot,” President Trump remarked.
Tao said she was “very blessed” to have survived the jarring incident, and said “I’m very grateful to God,” and “also to Mr. President.”
“Thank you for making D.C. safer,” she stated. “…On behalf of my parents, and now my baby on the way.”
Tao’s expression of gratitude comes roughly two weeks after Trump cracked down on crime in D.C. by implementing a federal takeover of the district. According to the D.C. Police Union, crime has fallen substantially since the announcement of federal control.
Their statistics revealed a 42 percent drop in robbery, for example, and a 25 percent drop in violent crime. There has also been an 85 percent drop in carjacking and a 24 percent drop in car theft.
As reported by RSBN, the federal takeover has resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of many illegal firearms. These operations have been carried out by federal assets, including the U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the U.S. National Guard, working in cooperation with D.C. local law enforcement.
“I bet you see a big difference in the streets right now, and this is only [after] 12 days,” Trump remarked on Tuesday.
