Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed that she had a “great meeting” with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, who threatened to “federalize” the “crime-ridden” district on the marketing campaign path.
“Today, President Trump and I had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities for the President’s second term,” Bowser mentioned in a press release.
The three-term Democratic mayor indicated that she and Trump agreed on wanting the nation’s capital “to be the best, most beautiful city in the world” and “reflect the strength” of the US.
“We discussed areas for collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure,” Bowser added. “I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20.”
The purported collaboration is a far cry from the incoming president’s earlier remarks concerning the metropolis.
Throughout his White Home run, Trump repeatedly vowed to “take over” DC given considerations about spiking crime.
The president-elect referred to Washington as a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap” in a December 2023 Fact Social put up, arguing that it “must be taken over and properly run by the Federal Government.”
And through a February rally in Las Vegas, Trump pledged to “take over our horribly run capital,” describing DC as a “nightmare of murder and crime.”
“We’re going to federalize it. We’re gonna have the toughest law enforcement in the country. We’re not going to have any more crime and it’s going to look beautiful,” he added.
The 273 murders recorded within the district in 2023 was the best quantity since 1997.
The troubling crime fee resulted in Congress intervening to dam a controversial replace to Washington, DC’s prison code that 12 months that will have lowered most penalties for sure violent crimes, together with carjackings.
The homicide fee subsequently declined by 32% in 2024, and whole violent crime fell by 35%.
Bowser and Trump beforehand met in 2016, forward of the president-elect’s first inauguration.
Late in his first time period, Trump blasted Bowser as an “incompetent” mayor over her dealing with of protests in DC after the demise of George Floyd.
The Trump transition staff didn’t reply to The Submit’s request for remark.
