During the latter part of his career, Hager's focus shifted from foreign affairs to a wide range of domestic issues. Hager persuaded NBC to relocate him to the Washington DC bureau, but because all of the traditional political beats had already been filled, he decided to mold himself as a "consumer reporter." Hager had a unique sense of urgency in his reporting style which helped him carve out a niche in the areas of weather and transportation, aviation in particular. He reported on many major airline accidents, including TWA Flight 800 and Pan Am Flight 103. He also covered many of the major hurricanes that hit the United States during his 35-year tenure. During his years at the DC bureau, Hager became one of the most visible reporters on television.