WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance thanked National Guard troops for making D.C.’s Union Station safe from “vagrants” on Wednesday in an event highlighting President Donald Trump’s militarized takeover of the city’s police.
Vance was accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, and an overwhelming show of force that included dozens of federal agents, National Guard troops and armored military vehicles ― as well as protesters opposed to the Trump administration’s crackdown.
“Free D.C.” and pro-Palestinian activists heckled Vance loudly and in vulgar terms as he entered the restaurant, where he thanked the National Guard soldiers for their work and handed out coffee.
“We appreciate everything that you’re doing,” Vance said. “You guys bust your ass all day, we give you a hamburger. Not a fair trade, but we’re grateful for everything you guys do.”
Trump took over the local police and deployed troops in Washington in response to a supposed “crime emergency” after local teenagers attacked an administration staffer last month. Data from D.C. police suggest crime, while higher than in other cities, has actually fallen significantly in recent years.
