Aug 11, 2025 - Politics & Policy

What to know about Trump's long, contentious relationships with D.C. leadership

April Rubin

Two law enforcement officers, one with an FBI vest and the other with a U.S. Border Patrol police vest, walk on a brick sidewalk in an urban area at night. — FBI and Border Patrol officers walk along the U Street corridor as part of a federal law enforcement deployment to the nation's capital on Aug. 10 in Washington, DC. Photo: Andrew Leyden/Getty Images

President Trump has cast D.C. as a city that needs to be saved over crime rates, while seizing control of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Why it matters: Trump's ire toward Washington and its leadership dates back to his first administration, when D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded in kind.

Driving the news: Trump said would be "LIBERATED" in a Monday Truth Social post.

"We are taking our capital back," he wrote in a separate post, before announcing that he is seizing control of D.C.'s police force and deploying the National Guard into the city to crack down on crimes.
During the press conference, Trump criticized D.C. leadership for its "abject failures" that exacerbated public safety issues.

Zoom in: Trump also reassigned federal law enforcement officers, including FBI agents to assist night patrol duty in D.C., Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson said.

"In just a few nights, federal law enforcement officers have already played a vital role in deterring crime, arresting criminals, and getting dangerous drugs and weapons off the streets," Jackson said.

Reality check: Crime in D.C., including homicides, has fallen for the second straight years.

Flashback: In 2020, Trump deployed out-of-state National Guard troops to D.C. to quell protests following the murder of George Floyd.

The move was an unprecedented use of U.S. code regarding domestic National Guard missions, according to the Brennan Center.

Friction point: Trump also blamed Bowser for not stopping the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, but her advisers tried to reach Trump's team that day.

At the time, she offered the Metropolitan Police Department to support the U.S. Capitol Police.

During a local radio interview, the mayor blamed the insurrection on Trump and called him an "unhinged president."

Zoom out: Bowser clashed with Trump over his use of the National Guard and federal law enforcement during his first term, but she's refrained from major criticism this time.

Bowser, also in 2020, ordered the creation of Black Lives Matter Plaza, including "Black Lives Matter" written in yellow paint across multiple blocks of 16th Street.
Earlier this year, the city removed the paint following encroachment from the Trump administration.

Between the lines: While Trump threatens to take over the governance of D.C., Bowser has historically supported D.C. statehood.

"I like the mayor," Trump said in a February interview. "I get along great with the mayor, but they're not doing the job."

Go deeper: As Trump keeps threatening to take over D.C., Bowser keeps quiet

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What to know about Trump's long, contentious relationships with D.C. leadership

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