Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that she had a “great meeting” with President-elect Donald Trump, who threatened to “federalize” “crime-ridden” neighborhoods on the campaign trail.
“President Trump and I had an excellent meeting today to discuss our shared priorities for the President's second term,” Bowser said. statement.
The three-term Democratic mayor said he agreed with Trump that he wanted the capital to be “the best and most beautiful city in the world” and “reflect the strength” of America.
“We discussed areas of cooperation between local and federal governments, particularly regarding federal employees, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green space, and infrastructure,” Bowser added. “I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term and look forward to helping him make his inauguration a success on January 20th.”
This purported collaboration differs greatly from the president-elect's previous statements about cities.
While campaigning for the White House, Trump repeatedly vowed to “take over” D.C., citing concerns about a spike in crime.
In a December 2023 Truth Social post, the president-elect called Washington a “dirty, crime-filled death trap” and insisted it “must be taken over and properly run by the federal government.” .
And at a rally in Las Vegas in February, President Trump described Washington, D.C., as a “nightmare of murder and crime” and vowed to “take over a horribly run capital.”
“We're going to federalize. We're going to have the toughest law enforcement in the country. There's going to be no more crime and it's going to look pretty,” he added.
The number of murders recorded in the district in 2023 was 273, the highest since 1997.
As a result of the alarming crime rate, Congress intervened that same year to block a controversial Washington, D.C., criminal law reform bill that would have lowered maximum penalties for certain violent crimes, such as carjacking.
Then, in 2024, the murder rate decreased by 32% and the total number of violent crimes decreased by 35%.
Bowser and Trump met in 2016 ahead of the president-elect's first inauguration.
Late in his first term, Trump accused Bowser of being an “incompetent” mayor over his handling of protests in Washington, D.C., following the death of George Floyd.
Trump's transition team did not respond to The Post's request for comment.
