D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) shot back at President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Tuesday, decrying the move as an “authoritarian push” by the administration.
“This is a time where community needs to jump in, um, and we all need to, to do what we can in our space in our lane to protect our city… and to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule, and get to the other side of this guy, and make sure we elect a Democratic house so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push,” Bowser said during town hall with community leaders.
“So, don’t let your kids be a part of that, like, know where your kids are and make sure they’re not grouping together because they will be a target,” she added.
Trump revealed on Monday that he would deploy the National Guard to assist local law enforcement in patrolling the nation’s capital and that the administration would temporarily have oversight over MPD, painting the District as riddled with “violent” crime.
The crime in Washington has been down compared to last year and 2023, but the number of homicides in 2024 is still higher than the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, the city reached 100 homicides so far this year.
The president’s decision was backed by Gregg Pemberton, the head of the D.C. Police Union, who argued that the effort is a “critical stopgap” amid “out of control” crime in the city.
“We stand with the President in recognizing that Washington, D.C., cannot continue on this trajectory. Crime is out of control, and our officers are stretched beyond their limits,” Pemberton said in a statement.
Bowser’s rebuke of Trump’s decision comes as she struck a more conciliatory tone on Monday after the president’s formal announcement.
“I’m going to work every day to make sure it’s not a complete disaster. Let me put it that way,” she told reporters on Monday.
The mayor met with Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday and the two agreed to “work closely.”
During her appearance on “The Breakfast Club” radio show on Tuesday, Bowser also reupped her call her call for the District’s statehood.
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