Trump considers taking over D.C. government, chides New York
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was considering taking over governance of Washington, D.C., and suggested he could take similar action in New York because of his distaste for the leading candidate for mayor there.
Trump has made a similar threat regarding Washington before, but has not followed through even as he criticized crime rates and bashed other institutions there.
The president, speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, said his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was in close touch with Mayor Muriel Bowser, who favors making the city a U.S. state.
"We have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. We could run D.C. I mean, we're ... looking at D.C.," Trump said. "Susie Wiles is working very closely with the mayor."
Bowser's office declined to comment.
The District of Columbia was established in 1790 with land from neighboring Virginia and Maryland. Congress has control of its budget, but voters elect a mayor and city council, thanks to a law known as the Home Rule Act. For Trump to take over the city, Congress likely would have to pass a law revoking that act, which Trump would have to sign.
Becoming the 51st state would give Washington's roughly 700,000 residents voting representation in Congress. Democrats support that plan, while Republicans, who are reluctant to hand Democrats any politically safe seats in the House of Representatives and Senate, oppose it.
Trump suggested his administration would run the city better with an appointed leader than the democratically elected government.
"We would run it so good, it would be run so proper. We'd get the best person to run it," he said. "The crime would be down to a minimum, would be much less. And you know we're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you."
While Trump said his administration had a good relationship with Bowser, he had less complimentary words for Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who won the race to be the Democratic Party's nominee in New York's November mayoral election.
Trump described Mamdani as a "disaster." A representative for Mamdani did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
"We're going to straighten out New York... Maybe we're going to have to straighten it out from Washington," Trump said. "We're going to do something for New York. I can't tell you what yet, but we're going to make New York great again also."
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San Francisco Chronicle
32 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Young Democrats have called for a rebrand. They're vying to replace the party's old guard
PHOENIX (AP) — Deja Foxx celebrated her April birthday in a way most 25-year-olds don't. The extra candle meant she was now eligible to represent Arizona in Congress, and Foxx marked the occasion with a fundraiser. She's part of a wide-ranging group of young Democratic candidates, many running to replace older incumbents, who have grown restless waiting for their turn to lead their party back to power. After a crushing 2024 election loss, they say the party desperately needs a rebranding — and young leaders should steer it. In southern Arizona on Tuesday, Foxx is one of several Democrats hoping to step into a deep blue seat left vacant by the death of Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a longtime political power broker in Tucson. He had become one of the most senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill over two decades in Congress. Grijalva's daughter, Adelita, is one of the contenders, and three Republicans are vying in the GOP primary. But the push for younger leaders won't end there. In next year's midterm elections, primary challengers have already begun to emerge in states like California and Indiana that will give Democratic voters choices between longtime lawmakers and younger candidates. In Georgia, for example, 80-year-old Democratic Rep. David Scott's decades-long legacy could end with a primary he's expected to join. This has drawn challengers fed up with his refusal to step aside despite years of concern about his declining health and rare public appearances. The primary got crowded almost a year after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 election race amid similar scrutiny over his age. Challenging well-connected candidates can be daunting, but progressive leaders say the moment calls for urgency. 'Passing of the torch implies the leaders are handing it off,' said Amanda Litman, head of a group called Run for Something that bolsters progressive young candidates. 'What we're seeing right now is, the new generation is taking the torch. They're not waiting for it to be passed.' Campaigning online Many Boomer and Gen Z candidates alike have largely abandoned the traditional playbook of spending millions on TV ads in favor of TikTok and social media. But it's a pivot that older political hands would recognize from an older playbook: meeting voters where they are. Foxx, a digital strategist, led influencer strategy for Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign bid. On TikTok, she speaks to nearly 400,000 followers, saying she'd be the first woman of 'our' generation elected to Congress. In 2022, Florida voters elected the generation's first congressman — Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost. The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, which Frost co-chairs, has endorsed Adelita Grijalva. Foxx has leaned into popular Gen Z internet slang in branding her district tour 'Crashout or Congress.' Foxx said her campaign turned a corner after a primary debate in late May, when some clips of her performance drew the eyes of millions and helped spark a fundraising boost. If Scott seeks another term in his suburban Atlanta district, he'll face several candidates in the Democratic primary next May: microbiologist and state Rep. Jasmine Clark, 42; state Sen. Emanuel Jones, 66; and 33-year-old Everton Blair, former chair of the state's largest school district. Scott's campaign did not respond to requests for an interview. Clark racked up 7,000 TikTok followers after a popular influencer reposted her. She occasionally pops in with solutions to people's problems on NextDoor and is sometimes recognized as a podcast host instead of a state representative. She says Republicans have done a better job at saturating social media with their messaging. 'Instead of looking at Republicans and wagging our fingers at them, we could take some lessons from them,' she said. Message or messenger? Voters have been crushed by high living costs, Clark said, but Republicans, not Democrats, have been the ones to tell people their pain is real — even though Democrats have better ideas for fixing things. Blair agreed that Democrats have better policy prescriptions for addressing voters' economic concerns, but he said too many longtime lawmakers have stifled the party's ability to get that message across. He said President Donald Trump is fattening the wallets of billionaires but cheating low- and middle-income voters 'out of the American dream.' 'We have an incumbent who is just not doing the job, and we need a better fighter,' Blair said. 'The stakes are just too high.' Young people have grown up in a political climate dominated by algorithms, said 21-year-old Akbar Ali, first vice chair of the Democratic Party in Gwinnett County, home to some of Scott's district. That gives them a built-in understanding of how information spreads today, he said, but doesn't replace on-the-ground outreach to voters of all ages. He said Scott's physical absence is palpable, both in the community and as a voice in Congress. 'A lot of people are upset on a national level because we can't hit back with enough vigor.' he said. Adelita Grijalva carries a household name in Tucson and is regarded as the frontrunner. To Foxx, Grijalva benefits from her 'legacy' last name. Grijalva, who has received several endorsements, including from Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, has pushed back. She said she brings her own credentials to the table. Her father was progressive and antiestablishment, and she said she is, too. But Foxx, who benefited personally from some government programs the Trump administration has slashed or is looking to slash, said Democrats need to do more to reach new voters. 'We are bringing people into this party, into this democracy, who have felt left out — by and large young people and working-class folks,' Foxx said. A positive vision In New York City, 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani recently won the mayor's race with an upbeat campaign that leaned heavily on TikTok and emphasized finding new ways to make city life more affordable. In an era where so many young people doubt they'll ever be better off than their parents, they're increasingly willing to ditch pragmatism for bold policy platforms, said David Hogg. Hogg was removed from his leadership role with the Democratic National Committee, which said his election broke party rules. His decision not to run again followed his push to oust long-serving Democrats in safe congressional seats. He has not backed away from his vow to primary 'asleep-at-the-wheel' Democrats with fresher faces. People of all ages want a fighter who understands what's at stake as Trump cuts Medicaid and other programs that millions of Americans rely on, Hogg said. That's why his political action committee, Leaders We Deserve, endorsed Foxx. Young voters were key to Democratic wins in recent years, but some swung to the right as Trump made gains in 2024. Hogg said he's looking for candidates to 'win them back' by talking about how change happens. Older candidates can do that too, he said, but for better or worse, young people aren't yet 'jaded' by politics. 'In this dark moment, we need people who can provide us a general sense of hope, as crazy that can feel sometimes,' Hogg said. 'To believe that maybe things won't be as screwed up as they are now forever.'
New York Times
35 minutes ago
- New York Times
Donald Trump, the Club World Cup final, and how security protect VIPs at major sporting events
MetLife Stadium will host not only some of the world's best football players in the Club World Cup final this weekend, but also arguably the planet's most famous and polarising person. Fresh off the announcement that FIFA, world football's governing body and the organiser of this tournament, has opened an office a few miles from the New Jersey venue inside New York City's Trump Tower, Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president of the United States, has taken another step in strengthening his association with FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino by confirming his attendance at Sunday's final between Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea. Advertisement A year out from the best men's national teams coming to the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the World Cup, Trump and his office are eager to be front and centre in a country long seen as the world's favourite sport's final frontier. The president to set to be involved with the trophy presentation on Sunday, according to people familiar with the planning who were not authorised to speak publicly. U.S. vice-president JD Vance was at Cincinnati's TQL Stadium to watch Borussia Dortmund of Germany beat South Korean side Ulsan 1-0 in the Club World Cup last month. In Vance's home state of Ohio, U.S. Secret Service members bolstered a tiny crowd of 8,239, surveying the 26,000-seat venue and surrounding areas for any threat to a man who ranks first in the country's presidential line of succession. 'We were checked by strict security,' said Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac in the post-match press conference. 'When we left the hotel, we were given a sniff test by a dog. When we got into the stadium, someone came onto the bus with another dog. That's completely normal. It's a World Cup. They are high-level people, so I think it's normal, but it was relatively tight.' On Sunday, security measures will be further enhanced, as security teams, stadium staff, event organisers, and the Secret Service are tasked with keeping Trump protected at the 82,500-capacity stadium in the state of New Jersey, situated approximately five miles west of Manhattan. At an open-air rally in Pennsylvania on the very same date last year, Trump was shot at and wounded in his right ear, while security personnel also have to be mindful of anything that would 'embarrass the principal'. 'I'm not going to say it's going to be the worst thing that the protection detail has worked on, but they don't like it,' says Michael Evanoff, global chief security officer of the U.S. security technology company Verkada and former assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security. 'You're going into a venue, but who knows? People can throw something… The pie in the face, right? That or throwing fake blood or anything that would embarrass the principal.' Advertisement 'With a sitting president of the United States, everything is different,' adds an industry source with experience hosting political figures, royalty and major celebrities for a world-leading stadium owner and event company, kept anonymous to protect relationships. 'No one else will come with such a huge Secret Service and national military presence.' When providing personal security to a prominent public figure at a major event such as a Club World Cup final, preparation begins well in advance of matchday. 'We appoint a security advance party, which will proceed before the event and conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the venue, liaising with venue staff and security to assess the existing security measures,' says Jordan McGrath, co-founder of VIS Protection, a private security firm with experience of working with top-end Forbes World Billionaires List members. 'You'll speak to venue staff about your plan and how they can help you and your team with entry and exits. With big crowds around, you must have contingency plans for vehicles ready outside and emergency vehicle access. It's a big operation, particularly for big sporting events.' Ideally, private security firms, or the Secret Service in Trump's case, would be notified months in advance of the proposed public appearance, so their preparations for the event can be as thorough as possible. 'Mass gatherings present a complex and dynamic threat environment,' says Steven Rice, who worked for 27 years at the U.S. Department of State. He was deputy assistant director for intelligence and threat analysis, and also had extensive postings in China and the Middle East. 'Planning and site familiarity are key to controlling the environment — designating primary and alternate arrival/departure locations, potential attack sites, safe rooms, and evacuation plans. Advertisement 'Robust communications, counter-surveillance, and perimeter and access control are a must — large crowds mean reduced manoeuvrability, limited escape routes and elevated risk of concealment for potential attackers. Coordinated emergency response plans need to be integrated across agencies and validated before gameday.' However, given the often impulsive nature of such ultra-high-net-worth individuals, these decisions can be made on a whim, prompting a rapid response from security agencies. 'You have to be prepared for every eventuality. I'm currently working with a client who is one of the world's wealthiest individuals,' says McGrath. 'They can be on the runway in one of their planes, and suddenly everything changes. In an instant, you're told you're going somewhere else and not getting on that plane. You have to be ready to adapt.' In Trump's case, the Secret Service would then be in communication with emergency services, stadium personnel and private security agencies at the event to conduct the most comprehensive checks possible given the time constraints. As MetLife Stadium is one of the nation's flagship sporting arenas (it hosted an NFL Super Bowl in 2014 and will stage the World Cup final next July), it will already have detailed practices in place that consider transportation, the stadium's layout, and Trump's position when he watches the match. 'Having had experience of working with the Secret Service, they like to have control themselves,' says Nigel Thomas, a former British Special Air Service (SAS) soldier and founder of Blue Mountain Group, a security training and advisory firm. 'They like to keep information very tight. They carry out their own risk assessment. 'They have a huge team in cyber-security and physical security. They will search the stadium with sniffer dogs for anything from drugs to explosives. They would want searches done on the security teams and a background check, so they don't leave any stone unturned.' Advertisement Once the Secret Service has established the route and motorcade for Trump's journey to the stadium, the next requirement is to find a suitable place for him to sit, which is not always straightforward. Some private-security agencies would endeavour to secure the suites on either side of the one that their VIP will be using to act as buffers, but this is a FIFA event, so the governing body has more control. It is anticipated that Trump will sit with Infantino, senior officials from PSG and Chelsea, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, whom the president met in Doha in May. FIFA typically reserves a significant portion of premium suites and VIP lounges for its partners and sponsors, which means that some areas of the stadium may be set aside and not offered to regular-season suite holders. This is typical practice for major sporting events, such as the World Cup, the Olympics or leagues' all-star games, where the competition falls outside a stadium or arena's typical event offerings. Once Trump and his immediate entourage arrive on Sunday, staff at MetLife may halt traffic around the entrance being used to ensure his motorcade can enter safely. They will then go into the stadium itself with their armed private security. Most stadiums and arenas in the United States use metal detectors, but given the heightened security risk on this occasion with a president in attendance, the Secret Service may arrive before the event and replace the existing apparatus with their own around the stadium, according to our industry source. 'For the president, there will probably be a bullet-resistant-glass setup,' says Evanoff. 'Even though there's not supposed to be any weapons there, they're not taking any chances by not doing that. You've seen him in front of bullet-resistant glass before. It's just tough because, at the same time, protecting an individual is a science. 'The Secret Service and my old organisation at diplomatic security have refined this to a real science. And with the loss of the Hortmans, with the attack on Governor Shapiro, this concept of executive protection is at the top of everybody's mind right now. Bringing a protectee into a venue, hopefully a screened venue, to sit them in an environment where you really don't know who's in the crowd — other than everybody's been screened — is serious.' The operation will be made even more difficult as Trump has given advance notice he will be there. Advertisement 'Public knowledge increases risk,' says Rice. 'Announced appearances give adversaries time to plan, conduct surveillance, and exploit vulnerabilities. Public figures attract crowds, complicating protective movement and increasing the chance of disruptions. Announced visits narrow planning options and heighten the threat environment. Layered defences, robust intelligence monitoring, and visible deterrence are critical.' Then, once the VIP is in their seat, the task switches to providing the most seamless experience possible, even if the security staff are on high alert. 'While they're in, you're still thinking, 'If this vehicle breaks down, what's my backup? If that road is closed, what's my alternative?',' says Thomas. 'You're ensuring the drivers are prepared, fed, and watered. That's going on without the VIP knowing.' Most of the time, the VIP experiences the event without any major hiccups and, as far as they are aware, everything goes smoothly. But what happens if something does go wrong? 'These security teams provide people from backgrounds where they have experienced so many challenges, whether from working as police or military officers,' Thomas says. 'When you do the threat and risk assessment, you cover anything that could go wrong: if they were at a mass gathering, what if the stage collapsed? We will have a standard operating procedure for that, for example. You need to be prepared for it, and that takes communication with stadium security and emergency services. 'If there were to be a catastrophic event involving the whole stadium, everyone would need to know our procedures for keeping the VIP safe while a mass of people are trying to escape. It's a huge operation, and things do go wrong, so it takes experience.' (Top photos: Getty Images; design: Eamonn Dalton)
Bloomberg
39 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Judge Blocks ICE From Racial Profiling in LA Migrant Sweeps
A federal judge in Los Angeles issued a temporary order barring US immigration authorities from stopping people for questioning without cause, the latest fallout from the Trump administration's controversial crackdown on migrants in California and across the US. A temporary restraining order sought by a group of Southern California residents, workers and advocacy groups was granted Friday by US District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, escalating another legal clash between immigrant rights groups and President Donald Trump's administration.
