WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and a trio of senior department officials with ties to the National Guard paid a visit to roughly 300 mobilized National Guardsmen at the D.C. Armory in Washington Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. The four leaders thanked the Soldiers and airmen for their efforts to increase safety throughout the city.

Protesters heckled Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as they walked through Union Station in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday (August 20) to meet National Guard troops at the station.

National Guard members stationed at Union Station received an unexpected visit Wednesday from Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who handed out burgers and thanked troops for their service.

At a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump boasted about the National Guard presence he sent into Washington, D.C., last week, adding: “I think Chicago will be our next, and then we’ll help with New York.