Hegseth faces off with Free DC protesters at National Guard event

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth slammed protesters and praised the National Guard’s work Thursday morning during a D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force event in Washington.

Hegseth, along with other top members of the Trump administration, including White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, were heckled by “Free DC” protesters while they spoke at Meridian Hill Park.

The demonstrators blew whistles and horns and screamed into microphones as administration officials touted the work of the National Guard and law enforcement in Washington, praising them for helping lower crime and making the city safer. One protester’s sign said “arrest Hegseth.”

“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,” Hegseth said to the about 150 guard members before laying into about three dozen protesters.

“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” the Defense secretary said.

“There’s nothing ideological about this group. There’s nothing political about this exercise. 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,” the Pentagon chief said during his nearly five-minute speech.

President Trump deployed the National Guard in what he and other officials described as an effort to lower crime and “beautify” the nation’s capital. There are more than 4,000 National Guard troops walking around the city.

“This town loves to talk about elites. There’s a lot of famous people in this town, but when I talk about elites, I’m talking about all of you, the real 1 percent. The real 1 percent of America who raised your right hand to serve something bigger than yourself when you could have done anything else and then you do the difficult, tough job that no one else is willing to do and you stand beside law enforcement here, and you ensure that our capital is safe and secure,” Hegseth said of the National Guard members, standing in front of the park’s fountain, which began flowing this spring.

Trump formed the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force in a March 2025 executive order, directing federal agencies to work together on “beautifying” Washington and bolstering public safety.

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