September 1, 2025
In a shocking move, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser praised the Trump administration for its federal takeover of the city.
In a shocking move, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser praised the Trump administration for its federal takeover of the city.
The mayor offered positive feedback for Trump’s deployment of the National Guard. This is a sharp reversal in tone just weeks after she characterized his takeover as “unsettling and unprecedented.”
Initially, the mayor resisted federal control of the Metropolitan Police. She joined critics in calling the move an “authoritarian push.” Mayor Bowser also discussed steps of action to block the takeover in an attempt to preserve D.C.’s autonomy
However, in the past few days, her tone has changed.
At a press conference, Bowser conceded that the influx of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops had yielded results. According to statistics, carjackings were down 87%, and violent crime dropped 45%.
“We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicides or robberies go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer, so this surge has been important to us,” said Bowser
Still, the mayor expressed concerns over other tactics.
“I am devastated by people living in fear,” she said. “I think you know very clearly how I feel about our nation needing comprehensive immigration reform, about the Congress establishing a pathway to citizenship for hard-working people who came to this country for a better life and who are not criminals, who are law-abiding.”
While Mayor Bowser is softening to the national guard occupation, other political figures are stating their frustration with the situation.
“…it’s completely performative,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in an interview with ABC’s This Week.
“He is simply using honorable men and women as pawns to distract us from his policies, which continue to drive up unemployment and strip away health care and food assistance from those who need it most.” Moore continued.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb also called the occupation “unnecessary and unlawful.”
“The Administration’s actions are unprecedented, unnecessary, and unlawful. There is no crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Violent crime… is down another 26% so far this year,” Schwalb said.
Many onlookers are questioning the sharp reversal of Bowser. For many, the National Guard’s presence in the state is unsustainable, making resisting a federal takeover a more pressing issue.
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