Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that President Trump's response to the George Floyd protests, including the forcible clearing of demonstrators outside the White House last week, has had the effect of turning out even more protesters over the past few days.
Why it matters: Protests in Washington on Saturday were likely the largest yet, lasting all day and remaining largely peaceful amid a reduced federal law enforcement presence.
The big picture: Bowser, a Democrat who is one of just seven black female mayors of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., has repeatedly clashed with Trump over how to respond to protests in the nation's capital.
- While Trump has urged a tough, militarized response to violent protests, Bowser has called on the president to withdraw thousands of National Guard troops and federal forces from the city.
- On Friday, Bowser approved a giant mural in support of the Black Lives Matter movement that stretches down two blocks of 16th Street leading to the White House. She also announced that the intersection of 16th and H streets — where St. John's Episcopal Church is located — would be renamed "Black Lives Matter Plaza."
What she's saying:
"What Americans saw was federal police forces tear gassing peaceful Americans. And how they responded made clear to the president that Americans would exercise their First Amendment rights and they would do it peacefully. And what he actually did, as you saw for the remaining days, was turn out more people, and more people who were there for peaceful protest."— Muriel Bowser