Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to President Donald Trump's calls for a federal "takeover" of the US capital, saying that the district is on its way to statehood.
"The case that we actually make is for DC becoming the 51st state," Bowser said during her remarks at the National Press Club.
"I know there's been a lot of talk about someplace else becoming the 51st state, but we are going to be the 51st state because what it means is, all the discussion we've had about whether a president or a couple of members of Congress can take over our limited self-determination is because we don't enjoy the same rights as American citizens, but we are the same as American citizens," she said.
Trump on Wednesday called for a federal takeover of Washington, DC, arguing that local officials have failed to effectively address crime and homelessness.
Bowser emphasized the existing collaboration between the city and the federal government, stating that both share common priorities, including improving the nation's capital.
"I think what the approach that we have taken with the White House is to identify those things that we share, what are our shared priorities?" Bowser said. "The President is very focused on making our nation's capital the most beautiful capital in the world, and it turns out, that's our focus too."
She highlighted the federal government's role in Washington, DC's governance, particularly in matters of public safety, noting that unlike other cities, the federal government plays a significant role in the district's criminal justice system, including judges and prosecutors.
On crime, Bowser claimed that public safety efforts in the city, particularly by the police force, have led to a "historic decrease in crime."
"We had to get a better focus on accountability for violent crime, and we've been able to do that, and we're seeing the impacts of that," Bowser said. "But those are all our police officers that go to work every single day."
Regarding Trump's criticisms of the governance of the US capital, Bowser suggested that Trump's perception of the city might be outdated, shaped by its condition during the COVID-19 pandemic. She referenced her late December meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, where she said she provided a clearer picture of the city's recovery.
"What I was able to report to the president was that he, I believe, had the picture in his mind of COVID-era Washington, DC because that's the Washington, DC he left," she said. "And we did have some impacts of COVID closures on both public safety and homelessness. And so I wanted to make clear that the Washington that he has returned to is coming back from COVID-era impacts."
On homelessness, Bowser rejected the notion that the problem was widespread and stressed that the city had made significant investments to address the issue.
She stressed that the "number of people on the street is not vast."
"So anybody that's on the street has a shelter bed if they want it," she said. "We have invested in that system, and we want to continue to invest in that system to get people off the street. Here's where the President, we don't think, is right— the number of people on the street is not vast."
