President Donald Trump is raising the possibility of greater federal control over Washington, D.C., if democratic socialist candidate Janeese Lewis George wins next week’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Speaking to reporters during an Oval Office event on Thursday, Trump said he would strongly oppose a George victory and suggested the federal government could step in if he believed the city was moving in the wrong direction.
“I wouldn’t like it, and maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” Trump said.
“We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses,” the president added.
Trump did not mention George by name, but his comments appeared directed at the D.C. councilmember, who has emerged as the leading candidate in the race to succeed outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Recent polling shows George holding a double-digit lead over former D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary.
The remarks immediately intensified an already heated debate over the future of the nation’s capital and the scope of federal authority over local government.
Washington operates under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which grants residents the ability to elect their own mayor and city council while still leaving Congress with ultimate authority over the district.
Trump has repeatedly argued that the federal government should play a larger role in governing Washington, citing concerns about crime, homelessness, public safety, and economic development.
“We have a thriving community,” Trump said Thursday. “We got rid of crime.”
“Washington now is a safe, beautiful place. People are coming. Restaurants are thriving.”