DC's Dem mayor 'optimistic' about finding 'common ground with the President' after 'great meeting' with Trump

In a statement released on Monday, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said she had participated in a "great meeting" with President-elect Donald Trump and that she is "optimistic" the two will "continue to find common ground."

"Today, President Trump and I had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities for the President’s second term. President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation," Bowser said in a statement.

"We discussed areas for collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure. I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20."

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly criticized the "crime-ridden" city and threatened to "take over" the nation's capital and put it under the management of the federal government, per the New York Post. 

In a December 2023 Truth Social post, Trump called DC a "dirty, crime-ridden death trap" and said it "must be taken over and properly run by the Federal Government." At a February rally in Las Vegas, Trump said he would "take over our horribly run capital," describing the city as a "nightmare of murder and crime." He added, "We’re going to federalize it. We’re gonna have the toughest law enforcement in the country. We’re not going to have any more crime and it’s going to look beautiful."

In 2023, there were 273 murders recorded in DC, the highest since 1997. However, the murder rate fell by 32 percent in 2024 and total crime fell by 35 percent after Congress blocked an update to DC’s criminal code that would have lowered the maximum penalties for crimes like carjackings.