In a fiery speech on Friday, President Donald Trump issued a stark warning that the federal government may take control of Washington, D.C., if the city’s leadership fails to fix its growing problems. Trump said he would not tolerate the current state of the nation’s capital, vowing to step in to “fix the problems.”
“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 and we’ve already taken the tents down,” Trump declared, speaking at a “law and order” event at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
But the most striking part of his speech came when he warned the city’s leadership that the federal government would step in if they fail. “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,” Trump said, signaling that he’s ready to act decisively if necessary.
Despite offering some praise for D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Trump was clear about his stance: if things don’t improve, federal intervention could be on the table. “We hope the administration is going to be able to [do the job] – so far, they’ve been doing very well. The mayor has been doing a good job,” he added.
Trump has floated the idea of a federal takeover before. Washington, D.C. is governed by a mayor and city council, but the federal government holds significant influence over the city. Congress must approve all laws passed by the D.C. Council, and the president appoints D.C.’s judges. However, any federal takeover would require support from Congress.
The president has frequently criticized the city’s crime rates and homelessness.
“When foreign leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron visited the White House recently, Trump claimed to have personally ensured that they didn’t see any of the city’s tents, graffiti, or potholes.”
Notably, Trump-backed legislation is expected to pass in Congress that would slash D.C.’s budget by $1 billion. Local officials from both sides of the political aisle are alarmed by the drastic cuts that would make it harder for them to address the problems the president is complaining about.
