Photo: Alamy
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted an event with the U.S. National Guard at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where he refused to concede to disruptive protesters.
“This background noise this morning is perfect,” he said, taking the mic in front of the newly restored park fountain.
He went on, “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, that there’s nothing ideological about this group. There’s nothing political about this exercise. Law and order is something all Americans deserve.”
The protesters could be heard yelling and making noise in the background of the event.
Thursday’s ceremony was associated with the Trump administration’s “D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche were additionally in attendance, among others.
Speaking to the assembled National Guardsmen at the park on Thursday, Hegseth said, “The crime rate here has dropped by staggering amounts, and the media won’t admit it because, of course, they have to give credit to President Trump, and then they’d have to give credit to the Department of War, or to Stephen Miller. But courageous men like President Trump and Stephen who said ‘enough is enough,’ are the reason why this city is a safe and beautiful place 250 years into our great Republic.”
He praised the troops for having courage and for doing their job amid the noise, noting that they do it “because you love your country, which is why you raised your right hand in the first place; it’s why you put this uniform on to begin with.”
Stephen Miller, in his remarks, also praised the men and women who have secured Washington, D.C.
“Each and every one of you has been a part of the single most successful public safety initiative in the history of this country,” he said.
The Safe and Beautiful Task Force was established by President Trump in 2025 via an executive order with the goal of tightening federal authority over the nation’s capital, cracking down on crime, and cleaning up the aesthetics of the city.