Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed that she had a “great meeting” with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, who threatened to “federalize” the “crime-ridden” district on the campaign trail.
“Today, President Trump and I had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities for the President’s second term,” Bowser said in a statement.
The three-term Democratic mayor indicated that she and Trump agreed on wanting the nation’s capital “to be the best, most beautiful city in the world” and “reflect the strength” of the United States.
“We discussed areas for collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure,” Bowser added. “I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20.”
The purported collaboration is a far cry from the incoming president’s previous remarks about the city.
During his White House run, Trump repeatedly vowed to “take over” DC given concerns about spiking crime.
The president-elect referred to Washington as a “dirty, crime-ridden death trap” in a December 2023 Truth Social post, arguing that it “must be taken over and properly run by the Federal Government.”
And during a February rally in Las Vegas, Trump pledged to “take over our horribly run capital,” describing DC as a “nightmare of murder and crime.”
“We’re going to federalize it. We’re gonna have the toughest law enforcement in the country. We’re not going to have any more crime and it’s going to look beautiful,” he added.
The 273 murders recorded in the district in 2023 was the highest number since 1997.
The troubling crime rate resulted in Congress intervening to block a controversial update to Washington, DC’s criminal code that year that would have lowered maximum penalties for certain violent crimes, including carjackings.
The murder rate subsequently declined by 32% in 2024, and total violent crime fell by 35%.
Bowser and Trump previously met in 2016, ahead of the president-elect’s first inauguration.
Late in his first term, Trump blasted Bowser as an “incompetent” mayor over her handling of protests in DC after the death of George Floyd.
The Trump transition team did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
