President Donald Trump warned Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser that if she didn’t “clean up” the city, the federal government would step in to do it for her.
Areas near the State Department and the White House are currently filled with homeless encampments, which were cited in the president’s post on Truth Social Wednesday as he declared that the nation’s capital “must become CLEAN and SAFE!”
“We have notified the Mayor of Washington, D.C., that she must clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments in the City, specifically including the ones outside of the State Department, and near the White House,” Trump wrote.
“If she is not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her! Washington, D.C. must become CLEAN and SAFE! We want to be proud of our Great Capital again,” the president added.
“Thank you Mayor Bowser for your efforts on behalf of the Citizens of our Country. Hopefully you will be successful!” Trump concluded.
Trump warns DC Mayor Bowser to immediately clean up all homeless encampments in the city, especially the one in front of the State Department.
I had to walk past that very tent city every day as my university classes were right in front.
This is what your nation’s capital… pic.twitter.com/T6LfmMxtXS
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) March 6, 2025
Last month, Trump said there is “too much crime” and “too many tents on the lawns – these magnificent lawns,” as he criticized the city.
“They’re not doing the job,” he said, as he suggested the federal government take over the nation’s capital if local leaders could not do the job.
Trump and Bowser met at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in December before he was inaugurated in what the Democrat mayor called a “great meeting.”
“President Trump and I both want Washington, DC, to be the best, most beautiful city in the world, and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation,” she said at the time.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday night that the federal government “should take over the governance of D.C.,” claiming that leaders of the nation’s capital are not doing enough to reduce crime, clean up graffiti and remove homeless encampments. https://t.co/hakoErCVb1 pic.twitter.com/XSjQS7S4h2
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 20, 2025
Trump reportedly has not gone ahead with an executive order that would have allowed more federal authority over Washington, according to the Washington Post, citing “a senior Trump administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”
“Draft language that weeks ago squarely contemplated city matters, such as ratcheting up penalties for crime and clearing homeless encampments, has been recast to focus on federal land in D.C., said a person familiar with the discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly. They emphasized that the White House is still exploring all options,” the Post reported.
The source pointed to weeks of “constructive conversations” between Bowser’s staff and Trump officials, noting how the third-term mayor “signaled Tuesday that the city would paint over a slogan painted on the street at Black Lives Matter Plaza.”
At a news conference this week, Bowser would not comment directly on any impending executive actions by the president.
“I can’t say that it was on the table, and I can’t say that it was off the table,” she told reporters. “We responded to rumors that they were working on something, and that’s really all I can say.”
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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