Washington DC - Vice President JD Vance was met with jeers and shouts of "Free DC" while visiting troops in Washington on Wednesday, as the National Guard said forces from multiple Republican-led states had arrived in the capital.
President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard in Washington last week as part of what he has billed as a crackdown on crime in the city, despite statistics showing violent offenses were down.
The DC National Guard mobilized 800 troops for the mission, while Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia are sending a total of around 1,200 more.
Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller visited troops at Washington's Union Station on Wednesday.
Loud boos could be heard from outside as Vance walked into a fast-food restaurant at the train station, and people also shouted slogans, including "Free DC! Free DC!" as he greeted troops and spoke with reporters.
Vance dismissed the hecklers as "a bunch of crazy protesters," saying: "We hear these people outside screaming 'Free DC.' Let's free DC from lawlessness. Let's free Washington, DC from one of the highest murder rates in the entire world."
The vice president's visit to Union Station came as the National Guard posted photos on social media showing personnel from the Republican-led states of Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and West Virginia arriving at the DC Armory.
Vance and Hegseth are meeting with National Guard troops in DC as protesters loudly chant "Free DC!" pic.twitter.com/e8gdKELG0v
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 20, 2025
DC residents push back against Trump administrationLIVE: @VP JD Vance and @SecDef Pete Hegseth visit @USNationalGuard soldiers at Union Station in support of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, in Washington, Aug. 20, 2025. https://t.co/Msiv5mGqaO
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) August 20, 2025
"Guardsmen continue to support law enforcement partners in safeguarding property and ensuring the functions of government," the post on X said.
The overwhelmingly Democratic US capital faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness, and financially mismanaged.
However, data from Washington police shows significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge.
Asked Wednesday if crime statistics had been manipulated by the local police, Vance asserted that "crime statistics all over our country were massively underreported, because a lot of people would pick up the phone, they call somebody and try to get help, and nobody would show up."
Response times in Washington and other areas were "way too long" because there was "too much crime and too few law enforcement agents on the street to bring order," he said.
In addition to sending troops onto the streets, Trump has also sought to take full control of the local Washington police department, attempting at one point to sideline its leadership.
After a legal challenge, the Trump administration agreed to allow the police chief to remain in charge, while seeking to push the police to assist with immigration enforcement.
.@LANationalGuard, @nationalguardMS, @SCNationalGuard and @WVNationalGuard members arrive at the D.C. Armory to support the Safe and Beautiful Task Force. Guardsmen continue to support law enforcement partners in safeguarding property and ensuring the functions of government. pic.twitter.com/H2gb6rueG2
— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) August 20, 2025
Federal law enforcement personnel – including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – have also recently surged their presence on Washington's streets, drawing protests from residents.
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