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Trump threatens to take over DC during cabinet meeting

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Trump once again threatened to take over D.C. Since taking office in January, he's made similar comments on Air Force One and in the Oval Office over his disdain for D.C. But the threats continue to raise concerns for people who live in the District. 'We've had a good relationship with the mayor, and we're testing to see if it works,' Trump said. During Tuesday's cabinet meeting, President Trump was asked about the New York mayoral race. He spoke unfavorably about democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani and pivoted to the District. 'If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same. But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. I mean, we could run D.C.,' Trump said. The threat against New York and D.C. makes D.C.'s U.S. shadow Representative Oye Owolewa push harder for statehood. Rep. Oye Owolewa said, 'Just another Trump threat to our home rule and our self-autonomy. You know, when we fight for D.C. Statehood, it's not just about voting rights. It's our ability to essentially have control over our own lives, our budget, the way with a vote for our mayor, and things like that.' Trump said his chief of staff is working with Mayor Bowser. 'We don't want crime in D.C. We want this city to run well,' Trump said. 'Susie Wiles is working very closely with the mayor. They're doing alright, I mean in the sense that we would run it so good. It would be run so proper. We would get the best person to run it.' Owolewa says Congress is not interested in governing D.C. and being in charge of things like filling potholes and picking up trash. 'Although it's good to have a relationship with the White House and Congress, we have to stand up for our people,' Owolewa said. 'Whether we turn on Black Lives Matter or try to make concessions to the White House to make sure everyone's on the same page, we're seeing that they still have little regard for our own home rule and self-governance.' Mayor Bowser's Office declined to comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.