Trump’s military takeover of D.C. is even more appalling when you see it up close and in person

WASHINGTON — Amtrak passengers rushed for trains. Uniformed school kids goofed around in the food court. Government workers headed for the Metro. It was like any other late summer afternoon at Union Station in the nation’s capital — except for the presence of armed National Guard members.

They were an incongruous and omnipresent sight as they patrolled the area Tuesday afternoon in packs of three — dressed for combat with handguns holstered at their hips.

I headed to Washington, D.C., to take a look around for myself at what’s been happening. Most of what I saw once I got there looked like business as usual until I got to Union Station. I was startled to see such a show of military force at the Amtrak train station of all places. Troops were everywhere — on overlooks gazing down upon the crowds, strolling through the food court, and walking past the Uniqlo boutique and other stores. Some looked ready for action; others really bored.

As someone who has commuted in and out of Union Station more times than I can remember, I’ve never felt unsafe there. I talked to people who complained about unhoused folks being there on and off — which I’ve seen, too. The station has more than its share of problems, but it isn’t a war zone.

What’s happening now with this federal occupation is over the top. As a cabdriver named Timothy, who declined to give his last name, pointed out, “The problem in Washington isn’t here.”

That didn’t stop the Trump administration from announcing on Wednesday that it plans to take control of the station, which has been managed by Amtrak since the 1980s. “[Donald Trump] 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 today is part of that,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

Earlier this month, Trump ordered thousands of National Guard members and federal agents into the city under the pretense of fighting crime while also taking over the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. On Wednesday, we spotted groups of them standing, armed, outside major tourist attractions like the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. We also saw them waiting around on random corners downtown. It looked pointless.

We may not yet be experiencing the national police state so many have predicted, but it feels like certain parts of the district are being overpoliced. It’s anyone’s guess as to whether it’s a precursor of bad things to come.

Meanwhile, I stand solidly with D.C. residents, most of whom oppose the takeover and don’t think it will make them safer, according to a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll.

If nothing else, Trump’s actions make Washington’s stalled case for statehood even more imperative. The people who live and pay taxes in the district should have some representation and a say in what happens in their city. They shouldn’t have to sit back and watch as their duly elected city leaders are disrespected. They also deserve voting representation in Congress, which they still don’t have.

The District of Columbia shouldn’t be subject to the whims of a commander in chief who thinks troops trained in the art of military defense should be picking up trash and spreading mulch at the base of the famous cherry trees at the Tidal Basin.

Nor should members of the National Guard be used as a flex by a leader who thinks that having them stand around with assault rifles outside major tourist attractions is an appropriate use of their time.

“I feel bad for them because they’re being torn away from their lives, their families, and there’s nothing for them to do,” said Robin Gaobraith, who was protesting outside Union Station on Tuesday. “Crime is going down. I’ve been here on and off all my life. I remember when we were the murder capital of the world. This city is very safe.”

Laurie Asseo, a Capitol Hill resident who was standing next to Gaobraith and also holding a protest sign, agreed. “This is a beautiful, peaceful city. We have crime like all large cities do, but it’s going down. We don’t need help from National Guard troops. I wish they would go home to their families. They need them more than we do.”

What I learned during my brief trip to Washington is that most D.C. residents would agree with that sentiment.