Latest news with #MayorBowser
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump takes on DC: What's next in the battle?
President Trump has moved to increase the number of federal law enforcement on the streets of Washington, D.C. — a decision he casts as necessary to combat crime. It's a move widely seen as a rebuke to the district's leadership, including Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). A lot of specifics are as yet undecided, including the total number of additional federal law enforcement officers who will be deployed, and their exact locations. The White House cited security concerns as the reason not to divulge those details. However, White House officials say that an increased law enforcement presence will be seen on D.C.'s streets. This is expected to be present mainly late at night. The effort is being spearheaded by the U.S. Park Police but also involves numerous other agencies including the Capitol Police, the FBI, the Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that while Washington is 'an amazing city' it 'has been plagued by violent crime for far too long.' She also said that Trump was 'committed' to making D.C. 'safer for its residents, lawmakers and visitors from all around the world.' The idea of a crime crisis in Washington is belied by crime statistics from the city police, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Those statistics show violent crime so far this year down 26 percent from its 2024 levels. The crime levels in 2024 were, in turn, lower than in 2023. The key question now is, what's next? Does Trump extend the use of federal law enforcement? A White House official describes the current push as one that will 'be beginning as a 7-day effort with the option to extend as needed.' The framing invites a number of other questions — particularly, what difference are federal law enforcement personnel likely to make in a week? The situation in D.C., after all, is not one where there is a riotous situation to quell or widespread disorder stemming from any specific cause. The haziness around the objectives may make a further extension of the federal role more likely. Trump would, presumably, justify such a move on the basis that there was still more work to be done. But multiple reports from the hours after Trump's announcement, when there was supposed to be an increased federal law enforcement presence, did not reveal anything out of the ordinary. An Associated Press report, for example, noted that 'a two-hour tour of the D.C. streets, starting around 1 a.m. Friday, revealed no evidence of the sort of multi-agency flood of uniformed personnel described in Trump's announcement.' Could Trump take over the DC police? The short answer is, yes. The bigger question is whether he would want to do so. The district enjoys its current measure of autonomy because of the Home Rule Act of 1973. The legislation reserves some powers for Congress and for the president. Section 740 of the act notes that if a president 'determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist,' the D.C. mayor must lend him 'such services of the Metropolitan Police Force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate.' There are some caveats to this power, however. In the first instance, a president cannot take over those powers for longer than 48 hours unless, during that period, he provides a written explanation of his reasons to Congress — or, more specifically, to the chair and ranking member of the Senate and House committees that pertain to D.C. Trump, however, could likely satisfy this requirement, given the GOP majorities in both chambers. The more salient constraint, therefore, might be the fact that there is a 30-day limit on this power, even if congressional notification is provided. Politically speaking, there is also a question of whether Trump would want to make such a dramatic move. Washington is a very Democratic city — former Vice President Kamala Harris got more than 90 percent of the vote last November — and reaction to Trump seizing the reins of the local police would surely be negative. How about the National Guard? Here, again, Trump has lots of remove to maneuver. The District of Columbia National Guard can be directed at the behest of the president, in contrast to full states where the power to deploy the guard resides with the governor. The D.C. National Guard has been at pains to point out that it has not, as yet, been deployed. A spokesperson for the D.C. guard told CNN on Friday that the force has not been activated and that any 'presence of National Guardsmen and vehicles seen this week and throughout the weekend are related to required training.' What could go wrong? Quite a lot. For a start, Trump could get into more of a pitched battle with Bowser. The mayor has pursued a much more conciliatory approach toward Trump during his second term than she did during his first. She has been supportive of a task force he set up in March and has refrained from comment on his latest moves. That's partly a testament to D.C.'s dependence upon the federal government in numerous ways. Congress in effect withheld $1.1 billion from the district's budget earlier this year. The federal workforce is of enormous economic importance to the overall D.C. area. But whether Bowser can remain quiet if Trump expands his control over D.C. is highly questionable. Washingtonians are already sensitive about their circumscribed rights. There are more macabre things that could go wrong, too. Any especially egregious violent crime could make Trump more insistent on federal control. Conversely, any excessive force used against D.C. residents by federal personnel deployed by Trump could ignite new tensions. Can Trump repeal home rule itself? Realistically, no. Doing this would require repealing the legislation. The House might go along with that, but Trump would need 60 votes in the Senate. Even if every Republican voted in favor, he would still need the backing of seven Democrats — a highly unlikely scenario. Additional reporting: Tanya Noury. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump taking control of DC police to stamp out crime; Mayor Bowser says crime is down
Trump taking control of DC police to stamp out crime; Mayor Bowser says crime is down President Donald Trump promised Monday a dramatic crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., announcing he will take control of the city's municipal police force and order hundreds of National Guard troops onto the streets of the nation's capital. Vowing to 'liberate' Washington, Trump said he would put an end to 'the days of ruthlessly killing, or hurting, innocent people.' 'It's not getting better, it's getting worse,' Trump said at a White House news conference flanked by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. 'We're going to do things about it like you wouldn't believe.' 'It's a situation of complete and total lawlessness,' Trump added. Trump has also threatened to oust homeless people from the streets of Washington, although it's not clear if that's legal or to where he might send them. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said officials would seek to cooperate with federal law enforcement, even though she stressed crime is down in the city. Council member Charles Allen, who represents Capitol Hill's Ward 6, called Trump's declaration a drastic distortion of the situation in the city. 'It's unnecessary, unwarranted, and a dangerous escalation of power,' Allen said. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., slammed Trump's move. 'Trump has no basis to take over the local police department,' Jeffries said, 'And zero credibility on the issue of law and order.' The move also comes as Trump seeks to flex his muscle over larger swaths of American society in ways that raise new questions about how the federal government will interact with ordinary citizens as well as state and local governments. Trump last week directed federal law enforcement agencies to increase their presence in Washington for a week, with the option 'to extend as needed.' On Friday night, federal agencies including the Secret Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service assigned more than 120 officers and agents to patrol the streets of the nation's capital. Trump said he would order up to 1,000 National Guard troops onto the streets of Washington. Bowser questioned the effectiveness of using the Guard to enforce city laws and said the federal government could be far more helpful by funding more prosecutors or filling vacancies on the District of Columbia Superior Court. The mayor, who has sought to avoid conflict with the White House, concedes Trump has the legal right to deploy the National Guard. The president also has the legal right to exert more control over the city's police, but only if certain conditions are met. Trump brushed aside those legal niceties, saying Bondi would immediately take over leadership of the Metropolitan Police Department. 'Crime is ending in D.C and it's ending now,' Bondi declared. 'No more.' Trump's claims about out-of-control crime in D.C. are not backed up by facts. Police statistics show homicides, robberies and burglaries are down this year when compared with this time in 2024. Overall, violent crime is down 26% compared with this time a year ago. Trump has occasionally complained about crime and other issues in Washington during his first four-year term, while out of office and since returning to the White House in January. His latest focus on its woes were apparently triggered by an attempted carjacking attack on Edward Coristine, a high-profile figure in the Department of Government Efficiency who goes by the moniker 'Big Balls.' Police arrested two 15-year-olds in the Aug. 3 attack and said they were searching for several other suspects. Trump has repeatedly suggested federal authorities could take over administering D.C. But that would require Congress repealing the Home Rule Act of 1973, which would likely face major political resistance. _____
Washington Post
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
It's 1st and goal for a new stadium, but a touchdown for D.C. is iffy
The battle over whether the Washington Commanders will return to their hometown and play in a fancy new domed stadium is just about over, but the verdict on whether the city got fleeced won't come down for years. What's clear now is that the promises coming from Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and the football team involve a rather grandiose brand of optimism.
Bloomberg
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
The Deal: Muriel Bowser
In this episode of The Deal, Alex Rodriguez tells Jason Kelly about his plans for celebrating his 50th birthday. Then, they speak with Mayor Muriel Bowser about the biggest sports deal in Washington, D.C.'s history. Bowser tells the hosts what lies ahead for a D.C. Council vote on the deal to bring the Washington Commanders to RFK Stadium, how she got Ted Leonsis to keep the Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics in the nations' capital, and why sports and politics go together.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump threatens to take over DC during cabinet meeting
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Trump once again threatened to take over D.C. Since taking office in January, he's made similar comments on Air Force One and in the Oval Office over his disdain for D.C. But the threats continue to raise concerns for people who live in the District. 'We've had a good relationship with the mayor, and we're testing to see if it works,' Trump said. During Tuesday's cabinet meeting, President Trump was asked about the New York mayoral race. He spoke unfavorably about democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and pivoted to the District. '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. I mean, we could run D.C.,' Trump said. The threat against New York and D.C. makes D.C.'s U.S. shadow Representative Oye Owolewa push harder for statehood. Rep. Oye Owolewa said, 'Just another Trump threat to our home rule and our self-autonomy. You know, when we fight for D.C. Statehood, it's not just about voting rights. It's our ability to essentially have control over our own lives, our budget, the way with a vote for our mayor, and things like that.' Trump said his chief of staff is working with Mayor Bowser. 'We don't want crime in D.C. We want this city to run well,' Trump said. 'Susie Wiles is working very closely with the mayor. They're doing alright, I mean in the sense that we would run it so good. It would be run so proper. We would get the best person to run it.' Owolewa says Congress is not interested in governing D.C. and being in charge of things like filling potholes and picking up trash. 'Although it's good to have a relationship with the White House and Congress, we have to stand up for our people,' Owolewa said. 'Whether we turn on Black Lives Matter or try to make concessions to the White House to make sure everyone's on the same page, we're seeing that they still have little regard for our own home rule and self-governance.' Mayor Bowser's Office declined to comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
