President Donald Trump floated the possibility of a full federal takeover of Washington, D.C., if democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George is elected mayor. The Democratic primary in the deep blue city is on Tuesday.
The city’s police department was subject to federal control from August until September of last year, while National Guard troops continue to patrol the capital.
Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser was initially critical of the federal law enforcement surge but has since become fairly cooperative with the Trump administration on policing matters.
“Well, I wouldn’t like it. And maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis. We won’t put up with it. We’re not gonna lose our businesses. By the way, Washington is now a safe, beautiful place,” Trump said when asked by a reporter in the Oval Office about Lewis George on Thursday.
Lewis George fired back at the president’s comments in an X post.
“We are not going to get ICE off our streets or protect Home Rule by fearing this President,” she wrote.
“Threatening DC because you do not like how our residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of DC elect the Mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Trump,” the Democrat, who is an incumbent city councilwoman, added. The mayoral candidate is backed by the Metro DC Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
We are not going to get ICE off our streets or protect Home Rule by fearing this President.
— Janeese Lewis George (@Janeese4DC) June 11, 2026
Threatening DC because you do not like how our residents vote is an attack on democracy itself.
The people of DC elect the Mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Trump. https://t.co/2sRQNsPRZT
The consequential Democratic primary, which includes candidates such as former councilman Kenyan McDuffie and businessman Gary Goodweather, will be a pivotal moment for the city as Bowser will be leaving office after over a decade.
Despite the comments being targeted at Lewis George, other candidates in the field used it as an opportunity to express their stance on the city’s Home Rule.
McDuffie posted that he “fight tooth and nail to protect Home Rule and defend against MAGA federal overreach,” and Goodweather said in a statement that Washingtonians “deserve Home Rule, representation in Congress, and the right to govern ourselves.”
The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher, but DC decides who will be the next mayor, not Donald Trump. As Mayor, I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect Home Rule and defend against MAGA federal overreach, keep our city safe and revive our economy that Trump’s policies have… https://t.co/PxxrsGti0A
— Kenyan McDuffie (@kenyanmcduffie) June 11, 2026
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has continued to tout renovations to monuments in the city, including the repair of the Columbus Fountain and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.