Trump calls for federal takeover of Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump said that the federal government should take over Washington, D.C., while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.

In remarks made on Wednesday, President Trump stated, “I think that we should govern the District of Columbia,” adding, “I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawless, make it safe.”

Trump noted that he gets along with Mayor Muriel Bowser but said, “They are not doing the job.” He also praised the Washington, D.C., police but added, “They’re not utilized properly.”

“The federal government should take over the governance of D.C. and run it really, really properly,” Trump stated.

Trump cited crime and homelessness as reasons for federal intervention in D.C., giving examples of homeless tents on lawns and saying that “we can’t have that” as world leaders are set to visit him in the coming weeks.

“When they come in to see me—like Macron is coming, the Prime Minister of the UK is coming, all these people coming over to see me. We’ll have ultimately President Xi, we’ll have everybody… You can’t let that happen. You can’t have tents all over your beautiful, your once magnificent houses and lawns, you just can’t do it,” Trump said.

The President’s comments align with efforts by congressional Republicans to reduce the district’s autonomy, potentially reversing decades of self-governance established under the Home Rule Act, according to AP. Currently, while Washington, D.C., operates its own local government, Congress retains oversight and has the authority to overturn local laws.