President Donald Trump is openly talking about taking direct control of both Washington, D.C. and New York City — bypassing local governments and running the cities from the White House.
“We could run D.C. I mean, we’re looking at D.C.,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “We’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that’s run flawlessly.”
D.C. has managed its own affairs for more than 50 years, but Trump now says he’s working with Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser to allow the federal government to take over the city. His stated reason: crime.
But the facts tell a different story. Violent crime in D.C. is already down 25% compared to last year. Overall crime is down 8%, according to the city’s own police data.
That didn’t stop Trump from doubling down. “We would run it so good, it would be run so proper,” he said. “The crime would be down to a minimal, would be much less.”
Trump’s ambitions don’t stop with the nation’s capital. He also took aim at New York City, warning that if a left-wing candidate like Zohran Mamdani wins the mayoral race, the city is doomed.
“If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same,” Trump said. He added, “We have tremendous power at the White House to run places if we have to.”
He didn’t name who he’d install to take control, only promising he’d pick “the best person.”
Trump has floated this idea before. On the campaign trail, he regularly promised to “take over our horribly run capital.” In March, he made the same threat:
“We’re cleaning up our city. We’re cleaning up this great capital, and we’re not going to have crime and we’re not going to stand for crime, and we’re going to take the graffiti down,” Trump said. “We’re working with the administration, and if the administration can’t do the job… we’re gonna have to take it back and run it through the federal government.”
Watch the clip below:
