Union Station ‘looks better than it has in years,’ journalist says after Trump's DC crackdown success

WASHINGTON, DC: Union Station in the nation’s capital has seen noticeable changes since President Donald Trump ordered a federal crackdown on crime, including a temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and Washington landmarks.

Journalists and officials reported that the historic train station appeared cleaner and less crowded, though concerns remained about empty retail spaces and broader security.

Federal takeover of Union Station focuses on safety

A reporter for WJLA, John Gonzalez, offered a firsthand look at Union Station following the federal intervention.

“We are in the main atrium here at Union Station, and I got to tell you, in my opinion, the place looks better than it has in years, cleaner than it has in years, but there’s still plenty of empty retail space,” Gonzalez said.

Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy explained that the federal takeover of the 1908-built landmark was intended to improve both infrastructure and safety.

The Transportation Department’s resumption of direct control over Union Station was expected to strengthen security and address maintenance concerns that have plagued the station for decades.

Reports highlight crime concerns at Union Station

Several media figures have recounted troubling experiences at the station prior to the federal crackdown.

Salem Radio Network host Scott Jennings described witnessing a murder at Union Station during an August 11 appearance on CNN NewsNight. “There’s an obvious difference between DC and any other city in America. You know, a few months ago, I was in Union Station and saw a body hit the floor at the bottom of the escalator in Union Station because there was a murder right in front of me up on the second floor. I was going to get a tie, and I heard the shots and saw the body hit the floor.”

“So, I’ve been listening all day long to people trying to make some argument that Washington, DC, is a safe place,” Jennings continued. “It’s not a safe place. And we can argue about statistics and numbers. There’s a police commander right now on suspension because there’s some allegation that the statistics have been altered, but we can argue about that all day long. Nobody in their right mind who lives there or visits there on a regular basis would tell you that Washington, DC, is safe, and everybody who goes there knows it.”

Similarly, CNN reporter Gabe Cohen told co-host Jessica Dean during an August 14 segment that fewer people appear to be loitering around Union Station since Trump’s crackdown began.

“This is one of the areas of focus that we have heard a lot of concerns about, crime around Union Station, people who are loitering outside,” Cohen said. “I will tell you, as somebody who walks this route all the time, it does seem like there are fewer people just sort of hanging around, but we don’t know exactly what that is.”

Over 1,200 arrests and 135 guns seized in DC since federal crackdown

Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier reported that since the launch of the federal crackdown, law enforcement had made significant progress in targeting crime in the city. According to her post, 1,283 arrests had been made and 135 guns seized in connection with the initiative.

The intervention followed an incident involving Edward Coristine, a staffer known as “Big Balls,” who was injured while attempting to stop a carjacking on August 11. Trump announced the federal crackdown and temporary MPD oversight shortly afterward, underscoring the administration’s stated focus on public safety and crime reduction in the capital.