Could Trump 'take back' Washington, DC, if he doesn't like new mayor?

With Washington, D.C.’s mayoral primary days away, President Donald Trump suggested that the federal government could “take back” the nation’s capital if a progressive candidate wins.

Trump did not name a candidate, but appeared to be referencing D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist leading recent polls ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary to replace outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser.

“I wouldn’t like it – and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.”

Lewis George has emerged as a front-runner in the race, leading former D.C. Council member at-large Kenyan McDuffie by 11 points in a recent Washington Post–George Mason University Schar School poll.

In heavily Democratic Washington, the general election outcome is typically not competitive. The Democratic candidate won the 2022 mayor’s race by nearly 60 points.

A strained relationship

During his second term, Trump has pushed for a larger federal role in the District, citing concerns about crime, homelessness and public safety.

In August 2025, Trump deployed about 800 National Guard troops to Washington after declaring a public safety emergency. Several Republican-led states also sent Guard members to assist.

While the federal takeover of the city’s police department ended in September, National Guard deployments have continued.

Although the U.S. Constitution gives Congress “exclusive” authority over Washington, D.C., the city has operated under its current system since December 24, 1973, when the Home Rule Act allowed residents to elect a mayor and city council.

Mike Stunson of the USA TODAY Network and USA TODAY’s Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy contributed to this report.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.