President Donald Trump used an Aug. 26 Cabinet meeting at the White House to underline his administration’s anti-crime campaign in Washington, D.C., inviting NTD News White House correspondent Iris Tao to recount her daylight mugging in January 2023. Tao told officials that a masked assailant pointed a gun at her, demanded her phone and wallet, and pistol-whipped her when she resisted. Now pregnant and still visibly scarred, Tao thanked the president for measures she said have made the capital safer, saying she again feels comfortable walking near Union Station. “If he had shot me, I could have died right there,” she added during the televised session. Trump said violent crime in the District has fallen since he dispatched National Guard troops and placed the Metropolitan Police Department under temporary federal supervision 12 days ago. He cited anecdotal reports of residents returning to restaurants and public spaces but did not release formal crime statistics. District officials have yet to publish updated data on assaults and robberies, and it remains unclear how long the federal security presence will remain. The administration says it is working with local leaders on longer-term policing and justice reforms aimed at sustaining the early gains.