The administration of President Donald Trump has made it known that it intends to overtake Union Station, a significant transportation hub in Washington, DC, as president.
Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, unveiled a new fleet of faster Acela trains on Wednesday as he sat down with Amtrak executives.
One of the busiest train stations in the country, as well as a shopping complex and a stop for buses, streetcars, and metro lines, is now operated by Amtrak.
Duffy argued that the Trump administration had the right to control the station’s management because it was the Department of Transportation (DOT)’s) owner, and that this was done in accordance with Duffy’s assertions.
Duffy stated, “Today, we’re announcing that we’re going to take Union Station back under DOT control.”
Not a power play, really. Although we’ve always had it, we believe we can improve how we manage the property, attract more tenants, and generate more income, which will allow us to invest in this magnificent structure.
exerting influence over Washington, D.C.
Trump has attempted to increase executive power since taking office in January for a second term, including by requesting changes to the country’s capital.
For instance, Trump issued an executive order declaring a “crime emergency” in Washington, DC earlier this month, and he has since deployed more than 2, 000 National Guard members to the area’s streets.
However, the Metropolitan Police Department’s most recent crime statistics do not reflect the perception that the capital is experiencing a wave of crime.
After rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, the police released data in January that indicated a 30-year low for violent crime in the city.
Trump has nevertheless made more of his accusations of widespread crime, including on Tuesday at a cabinet meeting.
According to Trump, “DC crime was the worst ever in history.” However, he attributed his military service to creating a quick turnaround.
“We’ve worked so hard over the past 13 days, and we’ve taken so many criminals, there are still many more. ” Trump went on to say “over a thousand”.
The Republican leader has also vowed to control the city’s cultural institutions more frequently.
Trump took over the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts board in February, and his replacements quickly elected him as chairman of the national theater.
The Trump administration also announced in a letter to the Smithsonian Institution’s head that it would conduct a “comprehensive internal review” of its museums this month in an effort to “remove divisive or partisan narratives” and “repeat” divisive or partisan narratives.
Trump himself claimed in a tweet that the Smithsonian misrepresented American accomplishments in favor of the horrors of slavery.
Trump wrote, “The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything is discussed is how awful our country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been,” in response.
“We are not going to allow this to happen, and I have instructed my attorneys to go through the museums and begin the exact same procedure that has been used to evaluate colleges and universities,” he said. Because WOKE IS BROKE, THIS NATIONAL CITY IS WOKE.
A crucial project, Union Station
Union Station has long been a focal point for concerns about crime and safety in the city because of its central location in the city’s central Washington, DC.
Critics have long pushed for the station’s shopping mall to be revived because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s negative foot traffic.
Duffy tied Trump’s purchase of the station to his wider campaign’s “clean up” of the city in a speech on Wednesday.
Duffy said, “The president has been pretty clear about what he wants for Union Station, American travel, and train travel.”
He desires beautiful Union Station to be resurrected. He wants our nation’s capital to once again be great and transit to be safe. And that includes today.
He explained that Trump wanted Union Station to become the “premier train station in the world.”
“It requires investments,” It has shown its age and has been neglected for decades, according to Duffy.
Although the Trump administration recently suspended billions in funding for such a project in California, he added that he would like to see the facility expand.
Duffy remarked, “I don’t believe it should just be China, Europe, Japan, or other countries that have high-speed rail.” “I believe high-speed rail is a necessity for America.”
Union Station’s ownership by Amtrak has a relatively recent history. Following a legal battle over station interior management, the company took control of the rail terminal in 2024.
The city announced in November that it had received $ 82 million in grants for Union Station improvements, including an expansion, a modernisation, and safety project.
However, in recent months, the Trump administration has pushed for more involvement in US businesses. For instance, it announced last week that it had acquired a 10-percent stake in the chipmaker Intel and that it had also announced in June that it had “taken a gold share” of Nippon Steel’s acquisition of US Steel.
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC, however, expressed optimism regarding Union Station’s plans for the Department of Transportation.
The mayor claimed that the city alone cannot afford to pay for the station’s renovation because an influx of money could represent “a very significant and good investment for this region.”
Source: Aljazeera
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