WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Washington, D.C. residents have had to adjust to the presence of National Guardsmen posted outside Union Station.
But Wednesday, all the excitement was happening inside as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth dropped by to thank troops and were met with a welcome of protesters.
The usually bustling transportation hub had an added degree of chaos Wednesday as a planned visit to thank National Guardsmen stationed at the building was largely drowned out by protesters.
Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller arrived to take pictures with troops and treat the teams posted outside for over a week to burgers from Shake Shack.
“[To] the National Guard, the Defense Department is proud to be standing with you,” Hegseth said during the meeting.
But mere feet away in the crowded train hall, protestors and onlookers took the opportunity to add their voices to the conversation, shouting things like “free DC” and booing as the leaders dined on the second floor.
Vance said the jeering of the crowd was the perfect example of how the Trump Administration’s deployment of the National Guard to DC is working to cut down on crime.
“I think you hear these guys outside here screaming at us… I’ll tell you what, a couple of years ago when I brought my kids here, they were being screamed at by violent vagrants,” Vance said. ”We’ve made it a place where people can walk around safely. They can bring their kids again.”
While the voices of those downstairs were too loud to ignore, Miller took away a different message.
“I’m glad they’re here today,” he said, “because me, Pete, the Vice President, we’re going to leave here and inspired by them, we’re going to add thousands more resources to this city to get the criminals and the gang members out of here.”
National Guardsmen have been stationed outside Union Station for 9 days following President Trump’s deployment of troops to D.C. on August 11th.
Copyright 2025 Gray DC. All rights reserved.