Anchor for Leftist ABC Recounts Being Mugged by Homeless Man in Downtown DC After Trump Announces Takeover

ABC News anchor Kyra Phillips on Monday described a frightening incident in which she was attacked by a “half-dressed” homeless man in downtown Washington, DC. She said her experience reflects what many in the capital are facing, despite official crime data.

ABC is one of several legacy news outlets highly critical of President Donald Trump. Phillips’ statements come as Trump annonced a federal takeover of Washington DC earlier in the day.

“I can tell you firsthand here in downtown DC where we work, right here around our bureau, just in the past six months, you know, there were two people shot, one person died, literally two blocks down here from the bureau,” Phillips said.

“It was within the last two years that I actually was jumped walking just two blocks down from here,” she continued.

Phillips added that “just this morning, one of my co-workers said her car was stolen, a block away from the bureau.”

Reporting on President Trump’s decision to place the DC police under direct federal control and send National Guard troops into the streets, Phillips said, “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.”

During an interview with DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Phillips called her mugging “scary as hell.” She noted, “It’s happened to a lot of people in our building, sadly.”

“He was homeless and half-dressed – clearly wasn’t in his clear mind,” she said of her attacker, explaining that she decided to fight back.

“It was scary… 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,” she recalled.

Trump, speaking Monday, said DC has been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people.” He promised, “We’re not going to let it happen anymore,” and vowed to clear homeless encampments from public spaces, including parks and underpasses.

According to the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime in DC is down 26% so far this year compared to 2024, with overall crime down 7%.

Trump dismissed those numbers as “phony” and said Attorney General Pam Bondi will investigate. He also referenced the suspension of a DC police commander last month over allegations of falsifying crime statistics.

Pirro told Fox News host Sean Hannity that DC is an “incredibly violent area” and that many residents no longer report crimes, from shoplifting to attempted carjackings.

“They don’t even call the police,” she said, arguing much of the crime never appears in official records. Pirro added that Trump’s press conference was crowded because many reporters there, like Phillips, have been victims of crime in the city.

“Those reporters in that room – and it was packed to the gills – experience crime themselves,” Pirro said.