President Donald Trump reiterated late Wednesday that the federal government should “take over” and control Washington, D.C., as a GOP congressional push to repeal the blue city’s home rule remains in limbo.
“I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawlessly beautiful,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think we should take over Washington, D.C. — make it safe.”
The District of Columbia has governed itself for the past 50 years. Prior to 1974, Congress held exclusive jurisdiction over the District. The new GOP-controlled Congress aims to revert control over the nation’s capital back to the federal government.
Earlier this month, Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah) and Representative Andy Ogles (R., Tenn.) introduced the BOWSER Act, named after the D.C. mayor, to repeal the District’s Home Rule Act. The new bill would take effect one year after passage and strip the city of its powers, including the mayor and D.C. Council.
Lee introduced the same bill in the Senate last year, but it went nowhere. It appears few Republican lawmakers are backing the effort.
Trump said he personally likes Mayor Muriel Bowser but noted city leadership is “not doing the job” to crack down on rampant crime, graffitied streets, and homeless encampments. Bowser shot back with a statement on social media, citing a positive headline about the city’s crackdown on crime.
While homicides skyrocketed in 2023, the number of violent incidents decreased by 35 percent last year. This marked a 30-year-low for D.C., former U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves announced in January.
The president told reporters the Metropolitan Police Department is “great,” but it’s “not utilized properly.”
MPD has experienced staffing shortages and received less funding from the city council in the post-pandemic era, a Manhattan Institute report published in August found. The police department also made fewer arrests in most crime categories in 2023, compared to 2019, although arrest rates have improved slightly since Pamela Smith became the new police chief in November 2023.
The Trump administration is expected to issue an executive order that would clean up the city’s problems, which the Republican vowed to do during his campaign. D.C. officials are bracing for the order. Trump did not mention the executive order or pending legislation to reporters Wednesday night.
The White House wants a revamped D.C. to impress foreign leaders. Trump noted French President Emmanuel Macron, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be visiting D.C. during his second term.
“All these people are coming over to see me,” Trump said. “You can’t have tents all over your once magnificent plazas and lawns. You just can’t do it.”