ABC News Live host Linsey Davis Phillips says she was attacked near her network’s Washington, D.C., bureau on Monday, just hours before President Donald Trump announced sweeping federal action to address crime in the nation’s capital.
The measures include placing the city’s police department under federal control and deploying National Guard troops into the streets.
Reporting live from the District, Phillips told viewers that, despite official data showing some categories of crime declining, the problem remains widespread.
“We can talk about the numbers going down, but crime is happening every single day because we’re all experiencing it firsthand, working and living down here,” she said.
Phillips explained that the assault occurred only two blocks from the ABC bureau.
She specified that the suspect was not a juvenile, noting, “It was not a minor, though.”
She added that similar incidents have affected her colleagues. “It’s happened to a lot of people in our building, sadly.”
The journalist said she was “jumped” and identified her attacker as a homeless man who was “half-dressed” and “clearly wasn’t in his clear mind.”
Describing the encounter, Phillips said, “It was scary as hell, I’m not going to lie, but I fought back. I didn’t see any weapons in his hands. I felt like it was my only choice.”
Phillips later discussed the incident during an interview with D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, calling the situation “scary as hell” and saying she made the decision in the moment to resist the attacker.
She said the man appeared to be acting erratically before the assault.
President Trump, in remarks from the White House, delivered a sharp rebuke of the state of public safety in Washington, D.C.
“This city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” Trump said.
“We’re not going to let it happen anymore.”
The president announced that his administration will remove all homeless encampments from public areas, including city parks, sidewalks and highway underpasses.
He did not specify a timeline but said the process would begin immediately with coordination between federal law enforcement and the National Guard.
The New York Post highlighted that according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), violent crime in the District is down 26 percent compared to the same time in 2024, while overall reported crime has declined by 7 percent.
The MPD’s latest statistics include decreases in certain types of assaults and robberies but mixed results in property crimes.
Trump rejected the official figures, calling them “phony” and alleging that local officials have manipulated data to downplay the severity of the problem.
He announced that Attorney General Pam Bondi will review D.C.’s crime data and reporting practices.
The president referenced the suspension of an MPD police commander last month.
The commander is accused of falsifying crime statistics to present more favorable trends. The investigation into those allegations is ongoing.
The Post reported that Pirro, speaking alongside Phillips during coverage of the announcement, described D.C. as an “incredibly violent area” with a crime problem severe enough that many residents do not bother reporting certain offenses.
“What we’ve got here are people that are not even making complaints about the quality-of-life crimes, whether it’s shoplifting or damaging property or an attempted carjacking,” she said.
“They don’t even call the police,” Pirro continued, arguing that underreporting is preventing an accurate picture of crime in the city.
“We’re not even seeing most of the crime that’s occurring,” she said.
WATCH:
The post ABC News Host Reveals Horrifying Personal Story About How She Was ‘Jumped’ by ‘Half-Dressed’ Vagrant Just Before Trump’s Major D.C. Announcement appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Jordyn M.
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