President Donald Trump said Thursday he might “take back” D.C. depending on who wins the mayoral race in the city, stating he would be opposed to Janeese Lewis George winning next week’s Democratic primary.
In the Oval Office, a reporter compared Lewis George, a democratic socialist, to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and asked Trump how he would feel if she wins.
“Well, I wouldn’t like it,” Trump said in response. “And maybe we’d take back Washington and run it on the federal basis. We won’t put up with it.”
In response, Lewis George said D.C. is not going to be able to get Immigration and Custom Enforcement off the streets by “fearing the president.”
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“We are not going to protect our rights or Home Rule by obeying in advance,” Lewis George said in a statement. “Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of DC elect the mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Donald Trump.”
Lewis George, a front-runner in the race, will face Kenyan McDuffie, Rini Sampath, Gary Goodweather, Ernest E. Johnson, Hope Solomon and Vincent Orange in the June 16 primary.
“The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher, but DC decides who will be the next mayor, not Donald Trump,” McDuffie said in a statement. “As Mayor, I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect Home Rule and defend against MAGA federal overreach, keep our city safe and revive our economy that Trump’s policies have decimated.”
Trump cannot legally revoke self-governance from the city; only Congress can do so.
Lewis George has promised to be aggressive against Trump if she wins, specifically against the command of the local police force and deployment of National Guard troops and ICE into the city, though she has also said she would try to “find agreement” where possible.
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