Pete Hegseth honors members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force

By Christine Johnson
The Center Square

Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke to members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force on Thursday, at Meridian Hill State Park, commending their dedication to keep D.C. safe and beautiful.

President Donald Trump commissioned The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force through an executive order as an initiative to ensure safety and beautification of the nation’s capital in preparation for celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

Hegseth praised the task force, stating, “This is your capitol, 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. And you do it whether it’s cold, whether it’s raining, whether it’s snowing, or whether it’s 100 degrees on the Fourth of July.”

He reminded those there that regardless of their political position, every American deserves protection.

“Law and order is something all American’s deserve,” Hegseth said. “Black, white, rich, poor, man or woman, from D.C. or far from places in this country.”

According to The Hill, demonstrators gathered outside of this event with whistles and horns, holding signs that said “Free DC” and “arrest Hegseth” in protest of the National Gaurd’s deployment around the city. Hegseth noted how this backlash was a testimony to the work of the task force, stating the protesters were full of ingratitude and lacked in common sense, blinded by ideology.

“These ingrates will fade away; they’ll go back to wherever they came from,” Hegseth stated. “You will do your job – you will do it professionally, with courage, boldly, assisting with arrests, helping people who need help.”

He then praised the resilience of task force members and how no matter what comes their way, they serve their country.

“It’s incredible Americans like you who ignore the noise and you do your job,” Hegseth stated. “And you do it with courage, and you do it with professionalism, and you do it because you love your country.”

Hegseth called for a moment of silence for two individuals, Sarah Beckstrom and Andy Wolfe, two National Guardsman who were shot back in November of 2025 in Washington D.C. Beckstrom later died from her injuries and Andy Wolfe is still in critical condition.

“They died so that others may live,” Hegseth said, “And as the Bible says, there’s no higher calling.”

Hegseth honored the service members in attendance, saying that while Washington is home to many political and cultural elites, he considers members of the U.S. military to be the nation’s true elite.

“The real one percent of America who raised your right hand to serve something bigger than yourself when you could have done anything else,” Hegseth said. “Then you do the difficult, tough job that no one else is willing to do.”