How Bowser Is Dealing With Trump
By • March 31, 2025 0 115
“I am pleased that President Trump supports the House immediately passing the D.C. funding fix, as passed by the Senate, and I look forward to the House’s swift action,” wrote Mayor Muriel Bowser last week.
“And with this fix, I look forward to sending a balanced and certified budget to the Council focused on our schools, a clean and safe D.C., and a robust growth agenda,” she added.
These days, Bowser is being the ultimate municipal and state juggler — she, the leader of the District of Columbia, a federal territory of the United States. To these job descriptions, we can add: the top cheerleader for her hometown, Washington, D.C. She’ll go just about anywhere to tout the people, businesses and community groups of the nation’s capital. Lately, she’s been highlighting the cherry blossoms and the Washington Nationals.
Therein lies Bowser’s conundrum: a local government within a federal framework. Her strategic stance is working for now.
She’s well aware of President Donald Trump’s off-hand remarks in February: “I think that we should govern the District of Columbia. It’s so important, the D.C. situation. I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawless. And I think we should take over Washington, D.C. … I get along great with the mayor, but they’re not doing the job — too much crime, too much graffiti, too many tents on the lawns,” he continued. “There’s magnificent lawns and there’s tents. It’s a sad thing, homeless people all over the place.”
And then, on March 28, Trump issued an executive order, entitled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.” It partly codifies his previous comments on crime, graffiti and homelessness as well amping up federal enforcement of immigration law with the expectation of local cooperation.
The order creates a task force — “the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force” — that includes nine positions from federal agencies. The mayor of the city this task force aims to benefit is not a member of said task force.
Slyly or not, Bowser thanked Trump for his urging the House to “fix” D.C. funding and made no mention of the creation of the task force on D.C. at that time.
Bowser and other D.C. officials — like Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto’s new “Peace DC” plan that builds on her “Secure DC” omnibus package —seem to be trying to stay ahead of any administration dissatisfactions.
Their big fear is that Trump would take over the local governance of Washington, D.C., ending home rule. Such a change would require an act of Congress, by the way.
Some are looking with grave concern, a few holding their breaths at the slightly cat-and-mice drama.
Still, Bowser keeps on keeping on — and doing her job as she should.
Last week, she messaged: “I hosted a tele-town hall to address the impact of federal job losses on workers and families in DC and across our region. We know that these job losses are creating significant challenges for many Washingtonians, and my message to impacted residents is that D.C. Government is going to do all that we can to help in your transition.
“We are consolidating resources at fedsupport.dc.gov. You can use this website to get information about enrolling in health care through DC Health Link, to learn more about Unemployment Insurance, to find mental health resources, and more.”
This week, Bowser will host events for the deaf community. We wonder if the administration will be listening.
