Politics

The plan to reclaim Union Station follows Trump's move this month to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington after he took control of the local police department over the objections of local leaders.

In March, the White House forced the CEO of U.S. passenger railroad company Amtrak, Stephen Gardner, to step down following orders by Trump.

Duffy said the plan for Union Station was not a "power play" but to attract new tenants and revenue to overhaul the station, adding that formal action confirming his department's renewed control of Union Station was expected next month.

The majestic Beaux-Arts style station, which opened in 1907, is owned by the federal government but has been run by a non-profit corporation working with Amtrak.

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National Guard troops have been on patrol inside and outside of Union Station after Trump launched the anti-crime effort earlier this month. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were shouted down by opponents of the federal intervention when they visited with troops there last week.

Duffy echoed the Republican president, who said last week he wants $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington as part of his crackdown on the city. The Republican president has sent thousands of National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials into Washington in a bid to fight violent crime he claimed had strangled the city.

Local police department statistics show violent crime in Washington has declined in recent years, but Trump has countered, without offering evidence, that the numbers were fudged.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-duffy-says-department-taking-control-of-union-station-extends-trumps-control-of-washington