DC’s Mayor responds to Trump's takeover comments, says statehood is solution

WASHINGTON - Washington, D.C.’s leaders pushed back against President Donald Trump after he expressed support for congressional efforts for a federal takeover of the nation's capital.

Trump expresses support for DC takeover

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump complained about crime and homelessness in the district, saying, "I think we should take over Washington, D.C. — make it safe." He added, "I think that we should govern District of Columbia."

Trump said he liked District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser personally but criticized the city’s governance. "They’re not doing the job," he said. "Too much crime, too much — too many tents on the lawns — these magnificent lawns."

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser & President Donald Trump 

Trump says he likes Bowser personally, but criticized city’s governance

Later that night, Bowser responded. "Washington, DC is a world-class city," she posted to X, along with an image highlighting the city's various achievements. The statistics listed include the city’s AAA bond rating, population growth, library accolades, Metro ridership growth, and a decrease in violent crime.

At a press conference on Thursday, Bowser fielded questions about Trump's comments and spoke about the need for statehood for the nation’s capital.

READ MORE: 'We should take over': Trump backs GOP push to have federal government control DC

Bowser expressed support for statehood

"We have to fight every day for not being in this position. And the only way we're not in this position is when we become a state," she said. "As long as we have limited home rule in this city, yes, you have elected officials. But as long as we have limited home rule, we're always vulnerable to the whims of the Congress or a president."

After being asked if Trump's comments cast any doubt on her ability to manage the city, she responded, "We don't approach our work with any uncertainty. I was elected. I'm a duly elected mayor of the District of Columbia, and the lawful CEO of the District of Columbia. So, we don't approach our work with any uncertainty."

Other city leaders react

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb also took to X to defend the city. "Violent crime in DC reached a 30-year low last year and continues to decline. Family homelessness is down over 50% in the past decade. Our budget is balanced, our economy is growing, our small business community is thriving, and we are one of the most visited places in the country," he wrote. "A federal takeover of DC would violate the fundamental principle of self-governance on which this nation was founded. We will defend the rule of law, Home Rule, and the right to govern ourselves."

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton released a statement that read, in part: "We have made significant progress in our historic march toward making D.C. the 51st state, and President Trump’s comments, a continuation of the anti-democratic rhetoric from Republicans concerning the District of Columbia, despite their basis in falsehoods, is evidence of that progress."

Under the terms of the city’s Home Rule authority, Congress already vets all D.C. laws and can entirely overturn them. Some congressional Republicans have sought to go further, eroding decades of the city’s limited independence and putting it back under direct federal control, as it was at its founding.