Patel says SPLC funded hate groups, cross burnings after latest DOJ indictment
FBI Director Kash Patel, in an exclusive interview with Kayleigh McEnany, details the Bureau’s significant achievements in combating crime and fraud under the Trump administration. Patel discusses drastically reducing violent crime by 185%, rescuing over 7,000 children from predators, and dismantling millions of pedophile accounts. He also highlights successfully resolving two hostage situations and the FBI’s crackdown on over $8 billion in fraud networks.
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EXCLUSIVE: The FBI on Tuesday marked the first anniversary of the Trump administration’s crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., touting thousands of arrests and seizures since the enhanced federal enforcement effort began.
The milestone comes one year after President Donald Trump launched the Safe and Beautiful initiative in Washington, increasing the federal law enforcement presence and deploying hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to combat crime in the nation’s capital.
“Last summer President Trump made the historic decision to surge federal resources to Washington D.C. to crack down on crime – and thanks to his brilliant leadership, the work of brave FBI agents and our law enforcement partners, and the support of our Justice Department, our nation’s capital is now safer than it’s been in decades,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital.
TRUMP’S DC LAW-AND-ORDER BLITZ MARKS ONE YEAR WITH EYE-POPPING HAUL OF SUSPECTS
FBI Director Kash Patel said federal law enforcement has made more than 6,000 arrests since President Donald Trump launched an enhanced crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., one year ago. (Fox News)
“One year later, the FBI has worked with partners to make over 6,000 arrests, nearly 2,000 drug seizures, and over 1,300 illegal firearm seizures,” Patel continued. “Homicides in D.C. are down an incredible 44% from last year.”
The FBI said the enforcement effort has resulted in 6,121 arrests, 237 search warrants and the recovery of $252,592 in cash.
Patel vowed that the federal enforcement effort would continue.
“The greatest country on earth should have a capital city reflecting it – where American taxpayers can live, visit, and petition their government without fear of violent crime,” Patel said.
TRUMP’S DC BEAUTIFICATION PUSH WINS RARE DEM PRAISE AS PRESIDENT SNAPS LANDMARKS BACK TO LIFE
FILE – FBI Director Kash Patel conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Thanks to President Trump and brave law enforcement, one year later we have made historic progress to that end, and the work will only continue,” he added.
The federal surge followed a series of high-profile violent crimes in Washington, including the June 2025 killing of 21-year-old congressional intern Eric Tarpinian, the beating of a former DOGE staffer and the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in a case involving alleged MS-13 gang members.
The National Guard deployment also drew criticism from Democratic leaders, including then-Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser.
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FBI Director Kash Patel, joined by Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, speaks to the media following the shooting of two National Guard soldiers in Washington, DC, on Nov. 26, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“I don’t think it’s legal, let me start there, for the National Guard to police Americans on American soil,” Bowser said at the time.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.