10 hours ago
New York next? Donald Trump's Washington DC federal-control move puts focus on his threat over Zohran Mamdani
US President Donald Trump came through on one half of his threat of a federal takeover of Democratic-ruled cities — Washington and New York. He invoked the Home Rule Act to bring the Washington DC police department under direct central control. New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani at a press conference in New York City on August 11 as he launched a 'Five Boroughs Against Trump' tour that will take him to all of the city's areas to speak against President Donald Trump's agenda.(Getty Images via AFP)
The DC move came just weeks after Trump said at a cabinet meeting that his administration would seize control of New York City, too, if the Democratic Party's mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, was elected in the November polls.
Trump called him "communist" while Mamdani, whose poll pitch is based on welfare and service subsidies, calls himself 'a democractic socialist'.
On DC, Trump's team was reportedly in touch with Washington mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, over law-and-control takeover.
At the time, Trump also talked about New York City, and attacked Indian-African-origin leader Zohran Mamdani. "If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same. But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to," Trump had said.
"I can't tell you what yet, but we're going to make New York great again," Trump had said, echoing his Make America Great Again (MAGA) slogan.
On Monday, Trump termed his Washington law-and-order takeover as 'historic action' and 'liberation day'.
He said he would start with DC, but a wider crackdown on crime would go further to other Americans. 'We're going to clean it up real quick, very quickly,' he said.
Washington has been self-governing since 1973 but Trump has cited crime stats to argue for the federal takeover. The capital's autonomy has been partial, though, under the Home Rule Act, which gives it an elected mayor and council but leaves the laws and budget with the Congress.
Meanwhile, Zohran Mamdani launched a 'Five Boroughs Against Trump' tour in New York City on Monday. He has said he would 'Trump-proof' the city to, among other things, protect immigrants from what he terms unlawful detentions and potential deportations.
