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Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Trump eyes governance of D.C., calls Zohran Mamdani a disaster
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his administration was considering taking over governance of Washington, DC, 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 US state. "We have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. We could run DC I mean, we're... looking at DC," 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." Last week, Trump said that if New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani interferes with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), then "we'll have to arrest him".
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Trump threatens federal takeover of New York & Washington calls Zohran Mamdani a ‘communist', targets Democratic control
During a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said his administration may assume control of New York City if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani becomes mayor. Referring to Mamdani as a 'communist,' Trump warned that New York would change significantly under his leadership. 'We're not going to have — if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same,' Trump stated. He added that the White House holds 'tremendous power' to intervene in city governance when necessary, although he did not clarify what authority would enable such action. Trump said plans are in progress. '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,' he said. The President's criticism of Mamdani follows the candidate's emergence as the Democratic nominee ahead of other well-known contenders such as Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo. Trump questioned Mamdani's qualifications, calling him 'not very capable' and describing him as 'a disaster.' He also accused Mamdani of wanting to control private businesses. 'He actually wants to take over the grocery stores of John Catsimatidis,' Trump said, referencing the Gristedes supermarket owner. Trump's focus on Washington: 'we could run DC' Trump also addressed the possibility of a federal takeover of Washington, DC, claiming that the city is struggling under current Democratic leadership. He stated that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is in contact with Mayor Muriel Bowser to assess the situation. 'We could run DC. We're looking at DC. We don't want crime in DC. We want the city to run well,' Trump said. He added, 'We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you.' The President noted that the capital should be 'run flawlessly' and implied that his administration could manage it more effectively. He acknowledged his relationship with Bowser, calling it 'a test.' Autonomy and crime statistics paint a different picture While Trump's statements imply that Washington is in crisis, data from the Metropolitan Police Department tells a different story. Violent crimes in the District are down 25% compared to the same time last year, and overall crime has dropped by 8%. Washington, DC has been self-governing since 1973 under the Home Rule Act, which allows residents to elect local officials. However, Congress still has the power to review and influence the district's budget and legislation. Despite this structure, Trump has repeatedly argued that the federal government should step in, citing crime and administrative challenges as reasons for direct remarks indicate possible federal action in NYC and DC, as tensions grow between local and national leadership over control.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Donald Trump: 'We would run it so good': Is Trump hinting at taking over New York City and Washington? Watch
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Tired of too many ads? go ad free now US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) suggested that the federal government might take control of New York City and Washington, claiming the White House holds the authority to intervene in cities if at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump was asked about New York City's upcoming mayoral election. He said, "We're not going to have -- 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."Trump criticised Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, who identifies as a democratic socialist, and also mentioned other candidates like Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa, though he did not endorse also slammed New York's ranked-choice voting system and called his relationship with current Mayor Eric Adams a "test.""New York City will run properly," he told ABC news. "We're going to bring New York back,' he his attention to Washington DC, he cited that the federal government could take over the city because of concerns about crime. 'We could run DC. We're looking at DC. We don't want crime in DC. We want the city to run well,' he added that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was talking with Washington Mayor Muriel has long called for the federal government to take over Washington, complaining that local leaders weren't effective and arguing the city has become riddled with the preliminary data from the Metropolitan Police Department shows that violent crime is down by 25% from last year and overall crime is down by 8%.Trump said on Tuesday that if the federal government ran Washington, it would be managed well and crime would be much lower."We would run it so good, it would be run so proper, we'd get the best person to run it," Trump said."And we know 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," he said he wants the capital city to be run perfectly and believes the federal government could manage it easily. He added that his team has a good relationship with the mayor and is currently testing whether their plan will DC has some autonomy under the 1973 Home Rule Act. It grants residents the ability to manage their affairs by electing a mayor and city council members. However, Congress has the final say over the city's laws and budget.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'We would run it so good': Is Trump hinting at taking over New York City and Washington? Watch
US President Donald Trump (AP image) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) suggested that the federal government might take control of New York City and Washington, claiming the White House holds the authority to intervene in cities if needed. Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump was asked about New York City's upcoming mayoral election. He said, "We're not going to have -- 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." Trump says New York City, DC could face federal takeovers Trump criticised Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani , who identifies as a democratic socialist, and also mentioned other candidates like Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo, and Curtis Sliwa, though he did not endorse anyone. He also slammed New York's ranked-choice voting system and called his relationship with current Mayor Eric Adams a "test." "New York City will run properly," he told ABC news. "We're going to bring New York back,' he added. Turning his attention to Washington DC, he cited that the federal government could take over the city because of concerns about crime. 'We could run DC. We're looking at DC. We don't want crime in DC. We want the city to run well,' he said. He added that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was talking with Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. Trump has long called for the federal government to take over Washington, complaining that local leaders weren't effective and arguing the city has become riddled with crime. However, the preliminary data from the Metropolitan Police Department shows that violent crime is down by 25% from last year and overall crime is down by 8%. Trump said on Tuesday that if the federal government ran Washington, it would be managed well and crime would be much lower. "We would run it so good, it would be run so proper, we'd get the best person to run it," Trump said. "And we know 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," he added. Trump said he wants the capital city to be run perfectly and believes the federal government could manage it easily. He added that his team has a good relationship with the mayor and is currently testing whether their plan will work. Washington DC has some autonomy under the 1973 Home Rule Act. It grants residents the ability to manage their affairs by electing a mayor and city council members. However, Congress has the final say over the city's laws and budget.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Trump weighs federal takeover of Washington DC, criticises New York leadership
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump revealed his administration is evaluating a federal takeover of Washington DC's governance, citing dissatisfaction with local leadership. During a White House cabinet meeting, Trump hinted at extending similar intervention to New York, criticising its Democratic mayoral nominee. Trump reiterated his authority to impose federal oversight, claiming his team could manage the capital more effectively than elected officials. 'We have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. We could run D.C.,' he stated. His chief of staff, Susie Wiles, reportedly maintains contact with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who advocates for statehood. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act, granting limited self-governance while Congress controls its budget. A federal takeover would require legislative approval to revoke the act, an unlikely scenario given Democratic opposition. Statehood for DC, supported by Democrats, would grant its 700,000 residents congressional representation—a move Republicans resist over political concerns. Trump dismissed Bowser's governance, asserting an appointed leader would reduce crime and improve administration. 'We would run it so good, it would be run so proper,' he claimed. Meanwhile, he lambasted New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, calling him a 'disaster' and vowing to 'straighten out' the city. Bowser's office declined to comment, while Mamdani's team did not immediately respond to Reuters. - REUTERS
