WASHINGTON (7News) — U.S Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth praised federal agents for keeping D.C. safe while he was celebrating his daughter’s birthday at the Wharf earlier this week.
Hegseth posted the picture on his social media pages, featuring his family and several DEA agents. The photo was snapped in front of Kinfolk Southern Inspired Kitchen, located at 685 Wharf St SW.
The Defense Secretary wrote, “Birthday dinner for our daughter in DC. Great to see our friends at @deahq — securing the city & keeping us safe.”
The comments came just days after President Trump declared “Liberation Day” and officially invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, placing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under direct federal control as part of a “historic” effort to combat crime in the nation’s capital. He also announced the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops to the streets of D.C.
SEE ALSO | Trump declares ‘Liberation Day’ in DC: Deploys National Guard, MPD under federal control
During that announcement, Hegseth also added that he was prepared to send additional units into D.C. to further carry out Trump’s mission.
Since the order by Trump, officials from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and the National Guard have been spotted throughout the city, including at the Wharf, Navy Yard, and Georgetown. Some residents have questioned why federal agents are not patrolling higher crime areas.
“Georgetown is kind of a strange place for them to be. It’s relatively safe,” said one woman who asked not to be identified, and saw these patrols take place. “They had absolutely nothing to do in Georgetown, but just walk around.”
RELATED | Georgetown DC residents question federal law enforcement presence in neighborhood
A White House official said they have deployed 19 multi-agency teams throughout all seven Metropolitan Police Department districts “to promote public safety and arrest violent offenders, including high traffic areas and other known hotspots.”