Washington Mayor Dismisses Trump’s Proposal for Federal Control of the City
Mayor Muriel Bowser is advocating for the District of Columbia to be recognized as the 51st state.
WASHINGTON—On February 20, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that the federal government should take control of the city she leads.
“Naturally, it’s frustrating, and we believe it is also unjust,” Bowser remarked during a press briefing.
Her remarks followed Trump’s comments made a day earlier, which arose amid criticisms concerning the rising levels of crime, graffiti, and homelessness in the capital of the United States.
“I think we should take over Washington, D.C. … I think we should manage it effectively, maintaining law and order, and make it beautifully flawless,” he stated to reporters on Air Force One on February 19.
Currently, the District of Columbia is managed by the mayor and the City Council, with their legislative and budgetary decisions subject to Congressional oversight. This governance structure was established by the Home Rule Act, enacted in 1973.
Transferring control of the city from the mayor would require another act of Congress. On February 6, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) proposed legislation aimed at achieving this.
Related Stories
The Bringing Oversight to Washington and Safety to Every Resident (BOWSER) Act aims to terminate Home Rule in the District within a year of its enactment.
Despite the Republican majorities, Bowser stated she is uncertain if the legislation will pass both chambers of Congress.
“Most members of Congress understand this: we are a well-managed city. We maintain balanced budgets, have a triple-A bond rating, and boast the best park system. Our urban school district is also the fastest improving,” she pointed out.
While refraining from detailing her discussions with Trump, Bowser mentioned that she had conveyed her belief that the current governance system is the most effective, and she left those meetings with the impression that his primary concerns revolved around “infrastructure, homelessness, and public safety to a lesser extent.”
“There’s actually not much difference in our views regarding accountability for violent offenders in Washington, D.C.,” she noted.
Additionally, she reflected on Trump’s departure from the district in 2020, highlighting that the city was still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I believe he still envisions a COVID-era D.C., while he returns to a D.C. that is… significantly different in a post-COVID context, where the issues surrounding homeless encampments have been greatly reduced—not entirely resolved, but significantly improved from the D.C. he left,” she remarked.
According to her, the city has halved the number of homeless encampments since the previous year.
The discussions surrounding Trump and Bowser’s comments underscore a persistent clash between those who share the president’s perspective and those, like Bowser, who desire the district to attain statehood with full independence.
“The only way to avoid such a situation is for us to become a state,” she declared.
“As long as we continue to operate under limited Home Rule—where there are elected officials yet limited authority—we remain susceptible to the whims of Congress or a president.”
