Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C. has spoken out against President Donald Trump’s recent threats to take federal control of the nation’s capital. In an interview on MSNBC, Bowser defended the District’s autonomy over its police department and expressed concerns regarding the deployment of the D.C. National Guard.
Bowser celebrated a significant drop in violent crime over the past two years, countering White House claims about rampant violence in the city. Following the assault of a former White House staffer during a carjacking attempt, President Trump directed several federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Park Police, the DEA, and the FBI, to increase their presence in D.C. Nearly 450 federal officers were deployed over the weekend.
On social media, President Trump promised to “make our Capital safer,” indicating a plan to remove the homeless and jail criminals, which he is expected to announce imminently. Bowser speculated that the president’s announcement would likely involve deploying additional federal law enforcement, a concept Trump has previously discussed.
In her comments, Bowser affirmed her commitment to collaborating with the president on shared objectives to enhance safety and beauty within D.C. However, she emphasized the need for more federal judges and prosecutors, as well as improvements to public parks and infrastructure.
Bowser took issue with recent disparaging comparisons about the safety of the nation’s capital. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had likened D.C. to a war-torn city, stating that it was “more violent than Baghdad.” Bowser dismissed these claims as hyperbolic and inaccurate.
Acknowledging a crime spike in 2023, Bowser pointed out that data indicates a 26% decrease in violent crime compared to the previous year. She affirmed, “We’re going to keep talking to the president, working with his people on the issues that are high priority for him. Now, if the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here. But it won’t be because there’s a spike in crime.”
Despite President Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard in D.C., an official from the National Guard stated that the force had not been mobilized yet. Bowser opposed the deployment of the Guard, explaining that they are not law enforcement officials and that utilizing them in that capacity would not be an efficient use of resources.
Historically, Trump has utilized the National Guard during times of civil unrest, notably during the protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and more recently to address protests in Los Angeles against his immigration policies.
Additionally, President Trump has suggested potential federal control over the Metropolitan Police Department, indicating it is “an option on the table.” Bowser countered this notion, stating that legal requirements for such federal oversight do not currently exist in D.C.
City and federal laws stipulate that the president can assume control of the D.C. police only under very specific emergency conditions requiring the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes, conditions that Bowser asserted are not present.
In light of these developments, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith has implemented a juvenile curfew in the Navy Yard neighborhood, a move aimed at mitigating public safety risks associated with late-night gatherings. Under the authority of recent legislation, the police will prohibit gatherings of nine or more juveniles in this area from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., effective immediately until Wednesday.
D.C. maintains a city-wide juvenile curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. lasting until the end of August.
In a separate social media post, President Trump acknowledged Bowser’s efforts, describing her as a “good person who has tried.” Nevertheless, he criticized her performance, stating that crime numbers continue to worsen and that the city appears “dirtier and less attractive.”
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