Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Hegseth Defends D.C. Guard, Labels Protesters 'Ingrates'

The public rebuke serves as a test of the administration’s claim that long-term National Guard deployments cut crime and justify their expense.

Image
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, delivers remarks at an event with National Guard soldiers at Meridian Hill Park, site of recently re-opened fountains touted by the Trump administration, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Image
Image

Overview

  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke at a Meridian Hill Park ceremony on Thursday to honor the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force and directly called protesters “ingrates” who shouted outside the event.
  • Dozens of demonstrators chanted phrases such as “Guard, go home” and used obscenities, and officials were heard speaking over the crowd during the ceremony.
  • The administration points to about 4,700 Guard members from 19 states in the capital and recent enforcement totals of more than 13,100 arrests and 1,400 guns seized as evidence of the mission’s impact.
  • Officials also cite reported drops in violence, including a 60% fall in homicides and a 32% decline in overall crime, while independent CBO estimates show sustaining large deployments would cost roughly $93 million per month.
  • The event highlighted competing pressures: the White House’s law-and-order messaging and the human and political effects on local residents, critics, Guard families, and budget policymakers.