Mayor Bowser is Trump's new frenemy
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Mayor Bowser, welcome to the club: You're Trump's newest frenemy.
Why it matters: In 10 days, your Trump status went from, "Bowser better get her act straight," to "Wow! … Congratulations to Mayor Muriel Bowser." While you welcome the feds to stay in town — indefinitely! — the White House sees D.C. as a model for deployments in Baltimore and Chicago next.
- How this ends is anyone's guess.
The big picture: Bowser joins leaders like Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum, dubbed the "Trump whisperer," and NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte, the one who called Trump "daddy." There's Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, with three visits to the White House this year — the anti-Gavin Newsom.
- Admission provides no guarantees. It's been topsy-turvy for Sheinbaum and the Europeans. Whitmer has been lucky, but she's betting that Democrats won't punish her if she runs for president.
- And it's a big gambit, the same one Bowser's making, should she seek a fourth term next year.
Reality check: Today in the Trump surge, there are still 2,200 National Guard troops on the streets and an acceptance that the police takeover will go beyond 30 days.
- Eight in 10 residents oppose all of that, per a Washington Post poll. But Bowser on Tuesday signed a new order calling for coordination with the feds "to the maximum extent allowable by law." And conservatives in Congress said they want to "codify Trump's executive orders" exerting power over D.C.
- As part of his congratulatory praise of Bowser, Trump declared on Truth Social on Monday that D.C. is "NOW A CRIME FREE ZONE." He claimed Bowser's approval rating increased 25%. (It's unchanged, per the Post.)
- Trump wonders why Democrats can't be more like Bowser.
Between the lines: But in a city where residents are muralizing sandwich-chucking resistance, Bowser may be going too far.
- "We demand that you immediately denounce the attempted federal takeover," said a letter to Bowser signed by more than a hundred progressive organizations.
Critics say her cooperation undermines Democrats nationwide.
- "People across the country know that President Trump is using D.C. to set the stage for a broader authoritarian takeover," says Council member Robert White, who wouldn't confirm speculation that he'll be running for mayor again soon.
- "I don't think anyone has seen someone work with this president and not get burned," White tells me.
On that point: While congratulating Bowser, Trump had a warning, saying "don't go Woke on us." Club Trump comes with a price.
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