Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting yesterday, and I know I say this every time, but they're a joy to watch. Plus, I believe this is his fifth in seven months. I think I heard someone say last night that Joe Biden only held one in his first seven months, and it maybe lasted half an hour. This one lasted over three hours, the first lady wasn't at the head of the table, and the public was very much invited. Trump and his team also took numerous questions. The transparency is a beautiful thing.
While there were some memorable moments — Marco Rubio was basically doing stand-up comedy — there was one reporter who stole the show (and I'm not talking about the one who felt she needed to ask the president about Taylor Swift's engagement).
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The president was speaking about crime in Washington, D.C., and other major cities, when he called on a reporter in the crowd to step forward and share her story. Iris Tao, who works for NTD, was walking down a street in D.C. in 2023 when she was mugged and assaulted.
I was on my way to work, and a young man with a black ski mask pointed a gun at my face and threatened me to hand over my phone, my wallet, my laptop, and everything else. And when I refused, he used the butt of his handgun to strike me across the face, in the cheek, or what some people call pistol-whip me before running away. That has deeply traumatized myself and my family. Ever since, I've never dared to walk in the street of D.C. at night ever, and my family was extremely worried. So Mr. President, thank you so much for what you're doing right now.
Tao added that the president wasn't just helping people like her but also the friends and family of people who are the victims of crime in our nation's capital. "If he had shot me, I could have died right there in the middle of nowhere without my family or my friends knowing," she said, adding, "I'm very blessed and that's why having this opportunity to stand here to share my story today, one, I'm very grateful for God for allowing me to still survive to this day, but also to Mr. President. Thank you for now making DC safer."
She added that her parents were also incredibly grateful, and a new family member will be one day: Tao is now expecting a baby who never would have had a chance at life had the criminal shot her.
You can watch Tao share her story during the cabinet meeting here:
Thank you, @POTUS, @PressSec, and the entire Cabinet for letting me share my story as a White House reporter once robbed at gunpoint and pistol-whipped in DC.
— Iris Tao (@IrisTaoTV) August 26, 2025
My family and I are hopeful seeing changes now happening. And I pray other crime victims feel the same. pic.twitter.com/S0zBdggGkP
In a previous re-telling of her story, Tao says she started screaming "Help! Help!" and the guy ran off into a nearby apartment. A neighbor called the police, but the situation naturally left her terrified. She said she was just beginning her career as a reporter in D.C., and her parents and soon-to-be-husband lived hundreds of miles away. Tao says she grew up in New York and never thought much about crime, but she was not prepared for what happened in Washington.
I grew up in New York City and considered myself street-smart. Crime statistics had always been just numbers. I walked the streets of Queens and Manhattan alone, day or night. That Saturday morning shattered that confidence.
It’s been more than two years. Since then, I’ve never walked the streets of D.C. alone at night. I Uber home every day — even though my office is within walking distance. I’m on high alert after dark, whether I’m working or just meeting friends. Fear lives around every corner.
I didn’t tell my grandparents what happened until a year later — I was afraid it would devastate them and convince them I should leave D.C. entirely. Truthfully, I still love this city. But the scar of that morning lingers.
So when friends ask, "Is D.C. safe?" I don’t just share the stats. I share what happened to me.
Tao concluded that she doesn't want her baby to grow up in a city like that.
I’m expecting my first child at the end of this year. And we’ve decided we won’t stay in D.C. — not until both the numbers and the stories prove the city has truly changed.
As a new mom, I want my son to grow up in a place where he can walk freely, play safely, and live without fear. I think most parents want the same.
And I hope — someday — we can live that vision here in our nation’s capital: a clean, beautiful, and truly shining city on a hill once again.
I think it's great — and brave — that she shared her story when so many other people in this business want to play down the violence in D.C. just because they don't want to give the president any credit for fixing something. If only the media had more reporters like Tao.
Reporters willing to give Trump credit when it's due are few and far between, but that's not the case here at PJ Media. All of us here want what's best for our country, and we support our president and hope to encourage more people to do the same.
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