WASHINGTON — War Secretary Pete Hegseth blasted demonstrators protesting outside the Trump administration’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force ceremony honoring National Guard troops on Thursday, calling them “ingrates” who are “so blinded by ideology” they “can’t see law and order and common sense.”
According to The Daily Wire’s reporting from Meridian Hill, protesters gathered outside the ceremony chanting for the National Guard to “go home” even as administration officials pointed to substantial declines in violent crime and nearly every major crime category since the guard’s deployment.
Before the ceremony began, protesters chanted “Pete Hegseth skips leg day,” “Guard go home,” “86-47,” and “D.C. is a sanctuary, we don’t need the military.”
As the crowd grew, security personnel could be overheard discussing streets “flooding with protesters.” Demonstrators blocked surrounding roads, causing traffic backups as horns and emergency sirens sounded. Reporters were told they could not move closer because the area had been deemed unsafe.
The disruption delayed the ceremony before Hegseth took the podium and addressed both the soldiers assembled before him and the protesters gathered outside.
“Thank you for waiting out here in the sun,” Hegseth told members of the National Guard in a video captured by The Daily Wire. “I’m to blame. Sorry I had a meeting go long. I never want to make a formation stand out any longer than it has to because I’ve stood in your formation before waiting for somebody to show up so I can get on and do my job.”
Hegseth then referenced the chants echoing into the ceremony.
“In fact, this background noise this morning is perfect,” Hegseth said. “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.”
“There’s nothing ideological about this group,” he continued. “There’s nothing political about this exercise.” Instead, Hegseth argued that restoring public safety should transcend politics.
“Law and order is something all Americans deserve. Black, white, rich, poor, man or woman, from D.C. or far-flung places in this country,” he said.
Hegseth thanked Guard members who traveled from around the country to assist in Washington and asked attendees to observe a moment of silence of service members killed in the line of duty.
“The beautiful thing is when I look out at this group, that’s all of you from all across this great country,” Hegseth said. “You’re not from Washington, most of you, but this is your capital. And you believe in this 250th year that it should be safe and it should be secure for every single citizen that lives here and every single citizen that comes to visit in this 250th year.”
Hegseth concluded by contrasting the protesters with the Guard members standing before him.
“See, these ingrates will fade away,” he said. “They’ll go back to wherever they came from. You will do your job.”
Demonstrators continued chanting outside after the ceremony, including calls to “Free D.C.,” “Free Palestine,” and for National Guard troops to leave Washington, according to footage captured by The Daily Wire. Administration officials say the Guard’s deployment has led to historic reductions in violent crime and other major offenses in the District.
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