Trump Transition: President-elect meets with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser
WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump met with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser at his Mar-a-Lago estate as he prepares to take office in less than a month.
Bowser on Monday said that she and Trump had a "great meeting to discuss our shared priorities for the President’s second term," and the mayor says she is now hopeful the two of them can find common ground.
Officials in the Mayor’s administration tell FOX 5 that the meeting between Bowser and Trump took place in the president-elect’s Florida home at Mar-a-Lago and that it lasted 45 minutes to an hour.
Last month, in congratulating Trump on winning the White House, the mayor said she did want to meet with him.
FOX 5 has learned Bowser interrupted her personal time over the holiday to go to Mar-a-Lago. She was joined by senior advisor Barbara Perry.
What did Trump and Bowser discuss?
The mayor says she and Trump talked about how the local and federal government could collaborate on parks and infrastructure, and on how to repurpose underused federal buildings.
Veteran GOP strategist Keith Nahigian says Bowser was smart to meet with Trump.
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"With the inaugural happening in two weeks, going and meeting with the person who’s going to be inaugurated at this global event, I think it’s a smart move to have a dialogue with that person and obviously, given the relationship of the federal government with the history of the District," Nahigian said.
What does a second Trump term mean for D.C.?
Trump has had some tough things to say about D.C. in general and the mayor in particular.
On the campaign trail, Trump made violent crime a focal point of his platform and claimed that crime is "through the roof" under President Joe Biden’s administration – specifically calling out D.C.
Bowser has repeatedly hit back on claims that violence is growing in D.C. In early December, she and MPD Chief Pamela Smith touted D.C.’s decreasing crime rates.
"When crime goes up, blame the Mayor. When crime goes down, certainly the things that we put in place couldn't have anything to do with that," Bowser said during a press conference. "What people are telling us is 'thank you for being focused on accountability' and 'keep up the work.' We still have work to do."
The meeting is also significant as D.C. is overwhelmingly Democratic. It’s a city at odds with the incoming administration that will soon oversee its operations.