President Donald Trump was back in the national spotlight Wednesday night at the National Republican Congressional Committee’s annual fundraising dinner, held at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Everyday travelers made their commutes or caught their next trains at the major commuter hub as the president was having dinner just a short distance away.
Union Station was bristling with security, with Secret Service agents and National Guard troops locking down the perimeter to protect the crowd of GOP lawmakers and donors. Officers were posted at every entrance, and police dogs swept the area. The heightened security closed some nearby businesses early and contributed to delays on the Metro.
Once inside, Trump delivered a hard‑hitting address that mixed humor, political criticism and fierce policy argument. Notably, he defended controversial moves his administration made — especially the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at major airports to help with security and staffing shortages amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. The shutdown currently shows no signs of ending soon.
“We are gonna send in the National Guard if we need to,” Trump said when stressing his willingness to escalate federal involvement.
Trump also discussed foreign policy and the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, which disrupted oil markets around the world. He suggested that Tehran was eager for a resolution.
“They want to make a deal so badly,” said Trump.
