Mayor Muriel Bowser Heads to Martha’s Vineyard as Trump’s Police Takeover Ramps Up

Mayor Muriel Bowser has departed Washington, D.C., for Martha’s Vineyard as federal agents and National Guard troops occupy the city’s streets just days after President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Bowser left for the ritzy Massachusetts island just south of Cape Cod to attend to a family matter, her office told NOTUS.

“The Mayor has a family commitment and had to pick up her daughter. She will return to the District tomorrow,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.

Bowser later posted on X that she had canceled a family trip to be in D.C. this week — but decided against disrupting her 7-year-old daughter’s plans to attend a summer camp on Martha’s Vineyard.

“I needed to get to her on Wednesday after work and bring her home, which I will do tomorrow,” she wrote. “I am in constant contact with my senior team and have been in constant consultation with our partners throughout a short swing out of the District.”

Bowser’s trip comes days after Trump initiated federal control of Washington’s police department and deployed the D.C. National Guard. The president has argued the takeover is necessary to crack down on crime in the District.

The mayor’s office did not answer NOTUS’ questions about whether this trip was planned before or after Trump decided to federalize the police department, and if the mayor was concerned about being out of town as federal law enforcement conducts increasingly aggressive operations targeting her constituents.

Troops and law enforcement have made dozens of arrests since the takeover started. Police set up a checkpoint near 14th Street NW and were stopping every car, pulling some over, on Wednesday night. At least two people were detained at the checkpoint, according to The Washington Post, including one man speaking Spanish who was put into an unmarked truck.

Initially, Trump said he expected the takeover to last 30 days, though he added that it was subject to change. On Wednesday, Trump indicated he may extend his control well beyond 30 days, which under federal law would require congressional approval.

Last month, Trump discussed with his Cabinet taking over D.C., and suggested the federal government could run the District. He said he was “testing” the idea of running the capital, “to see if it works.”

“We’re looking at D.C. We don’t want crime in D.C. We want the city to run well,” Trump told reporters in early July.