White House reporter shares personal DC mugging story during Cabinet meeting

A White House reporter on Tuesday shared a story during President Donald Trump's Cabinet meeting about how she was mugged at gunpoint in Washington, D.C., in 2023 and thanked Trump for taking action to bring crime down in the district.

New Tang Dynasty Television reporter Iris Tao said she was robbed near her apartment in January 2023. The robber pointed a gun at her face, demanded her phone and personal belongings and then hit her face with the gun when she declined. Tao in an op-ed on the robbery, said she refused to give the items over because she was concerned about protecting her sources.

Tao said the fear and realization of what happened did not kick in until after the experience. She said she was grateful the incident was not fatal.

"If he had shot me, I could have died right there in the middle of nowhere without my family or my friends knowing," Tao said. "That has deeply traumatized myself and my family ... I'm very blessed and that's why having this opportunity to stand here and share my story today… Mr. President, thank you for now making D.C. safer for us, for our families."

The story comes after Trump federalized the district's Metropolitan Police Department earlier this month in order to reduce violent crime in the city. He also deployed 800 National Guard troops in the city.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt thanked Tao for sharing her story in a post on X.

"Thank you for having the courage to share your story [Tao]," Leavitt wrote. "I know many of your colleagues in the media feel the same way."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.