Trump extends control over Washington by taking management of Union Station away from Amtrak

WASHINGTON AP Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated Wednesday that his department is taking management of Union Station the main transportation hub in Washington away from Amtrak in another example of how the federal regime is exerting its power over the nation s capital Duffy made the announcement in a announcement before he joined Amtrak President Roger Harris at Union Station for the launch of the NextGen Acela the rail provision s new high-speed train The secretary commented Union Station located within walking distance of the U S Capitol had fallen into disrepair when it should be a point of pride for the city By reclaiming station management we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost Duffy reported At the event Duffy stated President Donald Trump has been pretty clear about what he wants He wants Union Station to be beautiful again He wants transit to be safe again And he wants our nation s capital to be great again And in contemporary times is part of that Duffy mentioned Duffy echoed the Republican president who explained last week he wants 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 authorities 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 latest years but Trump has countered without offering evidence that the numbers were fudged 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 During Wednesday s train unveiling Duffy will also talk about what the administration is doing to turn Union Station into a world class transit hub according to a Transportation Department news advisory Duffy had pressed Amtrak about crime at Union Station in a March letter to its chief operating officer and requested an updated plan on how it intended to improve community safety there