Mayor Muriel Bowser reverses course on Trump's crime crackdown—now says it's 'greatly appreciated'

In a Wednesday press conference, Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the surge of federal forces to the city under President Donald Trump’s orders has been appreciated, citing a drop in carjackings. This comes after she called Trump’s attempts to crack down on crime in the city "unsettling and unprecedented."

"We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser said. "The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is the area of crime that was most troubling for us in 2023."

She said that while "we have driven it down over the last years," the difference between the 20-day period in which federal forces have been surged in the nation’s capital compared to 2024 has seen an 87 percent reduction in carjackings.

"We know that when carjackings go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So this surge has been important to us for that reason," she continued.

Earlier in the month, shortly after Trump federalized the city’s police department and sent in National Guard troops to assist, Bowser said, "while this action today is unsettling and unprecedented, I can't say that, given some of the rhetoric of the past, that we're totally surprised." She also said that the city was seeing a 30-year violent crime low.

Trump went on patrol in the city alongside law enforcement officers earlier in August, saying at the time, "We've had some incredible results...It's like a different place. It's like a different city. It's the capital— It's going to be the best in the world."

"I've never received so many phone calls thanking me for what we've done in Washington, DC. They said what you've done is unprecedented," said Trump. "One of the things that we're going to be redoing is your parks...We're going to be regrassing all of your parks. It will look like Augusta. It will look like, more importantly, Trump National Golf Club — that's even better."