President Trump tells reporters he could seek a “take back” of Washington, D.C., if a Democratic Socialist candidate, Janeese Lewis George, wins the city’s mayoral race. Speaking at a Thursday press conference, Trump was asked how he would respond if a socialist-leaning candidate emerged victorious in the Democratic primary to replace outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser. Trump said he would not like the outcome and suggested the federal government might “take back Washington” and “run it on the federal basis,” adding that the administration would not “lose our businesses.”
Lewis George responds publicly, saying she will not accept threats directed at the District’s electorate and that D.C. residents elect the mayor. She argues that such pressure is an attack on democracy and pledged to oppose Trump’s approach, including on local priorities tied to immigration enforcement and home rule.
The reported consequences of Trump’s remarks remain unclear. The outlets note Trump has previously pursued federal involvement in D.C., and that ending or undermining local home-rule authority would require congressional action, including a high threshold in the Senate, making major changes difficult within the current term.
