President Donald Trump escalated his confrontation with the District of Columbia on Thursday, suggesting the federal government could reassert direct control over the capital if a democratic socialist candidate wins the race to succeed outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser.
"I wouldn't like it — and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis," Trump told reporters during an Oval Office event. "We won't put up with it. We're not going to lose our businesses."
The president did not name the candidate directly, but his remarks clearly targeted D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist who has surged to the front of the mayoral primary field. Lewis George, who represents Ward 4, has built her campaign around affordability, housing, and public safety. Recent polling shows her leading former at-large council member Kenyan McDuffie by double digits ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary.
Trump has repeatedly pushed for a larger federal role in running the district, citing crime, homelessness, and other issues. Last August, he ordered a federal takeover of the city's police department and deployed National Guard troops to Washington, claiming a rising crime rate despite data showing the opposite. That move — the first time a president invoked emergency powers under the D.C. Home Rule Act — drew fierce opposition from local officials and Democrats. Section 740 of the law allows the federal government to assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department for up to 30 days, subject to congressional oversight.
Although the police takeover ended in September, the Trump administration extended the National Guard deployment. A guard official told The Hill earlier this year that the Pentagon plans to keep troops in the capital through 2029. A recent study found that the nearly 10-month presence of National Guard soldiers has not reduced violent crime in the district.
Trump's latest threat comes amid broader tensions between the White House and D.C. leaders, who have long resisted federal encroachment on local governance. The president's comments also echo his past efforts to assert control over the city, including his demand for the expulsion of Representative Jamie Raskin and his use of visa restrictions as a political flashpoint.
On Thursday, Trump argued that Washington has improved under his administration. "Washington, now, is a safe, beautiful place," he said. "People are coming; restaurants are thriving." Yet he warned that a socialist mayor could reverse that progress and drive businesses away.
Critics see the threat as part of a broader pattern of federal overreach. The D.C. Democratic primary is less than three months away, and the race has become a proxy battle over the city's autonomy and its political direction.
