Vice President JD Vance sent a message to Americans about the Trump administration's federal takeover of Washington, D.C.'s police in an exclusive interview with "The Ingraham Angle" on Wednesday.
"If you've got the political will to enforce the law, you can make even cities like D.C. safe again," Vance told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. "And that's what we're demonstrating."
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE DEFENDS TRUMP'S CRIME CRACKDOWN IN DC
PROGRAMMING ALERT: TO CATCH VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE'S ENTIRE INTERVIEW ON 'THE INGRAHAM ANGLE,' TUNE IN TO FOX NEWS CHANNEL TONIGHT AT 7 PM ET
On Aug. 11, Trump declared a "crime emergency" in the nation's capital, federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deploying D.C.'s National Guard to crack down on crime.
Since then, violent crime in D.C. has dropped 35%, Vance touted, adding robberies have dropped 55%.
HUNDREDS ARRESTED AS TRUMP'S WASHINGTON, DC, CRIME CRACKDOWN HITS FULL STRIDE
Vance went on to impart the "important lesson" he hopes Americans take away from the administration's crackdown, despite other cities not sharing D.C.'s federal status.
"I hope the American people just recognize that you don't have to live with lawlessness," he said.
"You don't have to live with third world murder rates. If you just take control of these cities, you can make them safe places to live again."
The vice president's comments come moments after he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited National Guard troops in D.C.'s Union Station Wednesday. Despite their visit being unannounced, hundreds of protesters greeted them, shouting "free D.C."
Vance fired back at the display in front of cameras, calling it "kind of bizarre."
"You have these people outside screaming 'free D.C.,'" Vance told reporters. "Let's free D.C. from lawlessness. Let's free Washington, D.C. from one of the highest murder rates in the entire world…that's what we're trying to free D.C. from."
'RADICAL' DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS 'LIKE CRAP,' POLICE LEADER SAYS - 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER
He continued, "It's kind of bizarre that we have a bunch of old, primarily White people who are out there protesting the policies that keep people safe when they've never felt danger in their entire lives."
Vance also recalled a moment in Union Station that "scared the hell out of" his kids before thanking guardsmen for bringing "some law and order" back to D.C.
"A couple years ago, when I brought my kids here, they were being screamed at by violent vagrants, and it was scaring the hell out of my kids," he recalled.
To extend Trump's federal takeover past 30 days, Congress would have to pass a joint resolution upon both chambers' return from August recess.
