WASHINGTON — Conservative commentator Benny Johnson on Tuesday thanked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during the daily press briefing for President Donald Trump’s decision to address public safety in Washington, D.C., by placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploying up to 1,000 National Guard troops to combat crime and homelessness.
Johnson revealed his home was set on fire while his infant child was inside during his time living in the nation’s capital.
“No parent should have to go through what my family went through — having a fire department rip open their door to save their infant child,” Johnson said, visibly emotional.
The commentator, who has lived in D.C. for 15 years, said his experience with crime was extensive.
“I have lived on Capitol Hill and witnessed so many muggings and so much theft, I lost track,” he said. “I was carjacked. I have murders on the Ring camera and mass shootings.”
He also recalled seeing “a woman on my block held up at gunpoint for $20.”
Johnson, addressing reporters he viewed as downplaying crime in the city, criticized their coverage while thanking the administration.
“To any reporter that says and lies that D.C. is a safe place to live and work, let me just say this: Thank you for making the city safe.”
While Trump’s law-and-order measures have drawn praise from many residents, others — including D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser — have criticized them as an overreaction and a desperate attempt to shift the narrative.
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