Washington: US Vice President JD Vance visited National Guard troops Wednesday at Union Station, thanking soldiers deployed in Washington, DC's federal crime operation as he faced protests about the intervention. Vance was accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

According to Anadolu Agency, Vance praised troops for their efforts in "actually keeping this place safe," citing a 35% reduction in violent crime and more than a 50% decrease in robberies since the deployment began. Demonstrators and federal intervention opponents protested during the visit, chanting "Free DC" in opposition to the federal takeover.

Vance criticized the protesters, questioning their understanding of safety concerns. "It is kind of bizarre that we have a bunch of old, primarily white people, who are out there protesting the policies that keep people safe when they have never felt danger in their entire lives," he said. He reframed the protesters' chants, advocating to "free DC from lawlessness" and highlighting the city's high murder rate.

Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, was more direct in his criticism, labeling the protesters as "crazy communists" and "stupid white hippies," while promising to intensify efforts to remove criminals. Vance described Union Station as "a great example of what's possible when you actually have the political willpower to bring law and order, and common decency back to the public spaces of the United States of America."

The visit follows US President Donald Trump's declaration in August of a "crime emergency" in Washington, DC, which placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deployed 800 National Guard troops to patrol the streets of the nation's capital.