Donald Trump is once again stirring controversy after suggesting his administration should take over the governance of Washington, D.C., and possibly New York City, arguing that his team would run both cities better than their elected leaders.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Trump said his chief of staff Susie Wiles has been in talks with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who supports statehood for the district. Trump, however, floated the idea of replacing local leadership with someone appointed by the federal government, claiming it would dramatically cut crime and improve operations.
“We could run D.C.,” he said. “It would be run so proper. We’d get the best person to run it.”
While Bowser’s office didn’t respond to Trump’s comments, the idea isn’t exactly new. Trump made similar threats during his presidency, but never acted. For a federal takeover to happen, Congress would need to revoke D.C.’s Home Rule Act.
Trump also turned his attention to New York, criticizing Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the party’s nominee for the upcoming mayoral race. He described Mamdani as a “disaster” and hinted that some sort of federal action could be taken there as well.
“We’re going to do something for New York. I can’t tell you what yet,” Trump said, suggesting the city might be “straightened out” from Washington.
