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WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s previous term in the White House was marked by significant turmoil for the District of Columbia.
As Trump prepares for another potential term, bolstered by a Republican-majority Congress and a commanding electoral victory, local officials from the capital are adopting a conciliatory tone while gearing up for possible challenges ahead.
“We have been planning and discussing strategies for months in case the District needs to advocate for itself and its values,” stated Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Her office conveyed on November 12 that they had reached out to Trump’s team to request a conversation but had not received any response as of yet.
Bowser attempted to diminish the significant differences between her administration and Trump’s, emphasizing the importance of seeking shared ground.
However, finding that commonality may prove difficult, due to the open hostility that has marked Trump’s past interactions with the district.
During Trump’s tumultuous first term, numerous public disagreements ensued between him and local officials, varying from lighthearted banter to deeply personal conflicts.
For instance, when Trump suggested holding a grand July 4 military parade with tanks on the streets, the D.C. Council openly ridiculed the idea.
Following the widespread protests that erupted in the summer of 2020 in reaction to George Floyd’s death and ongoing police misconduct, Trump accused Bowser of failing to maintain control over the city.
This led to him initiating a multi-agency lockdown involving low-flying helicopters hovering over demonstrators.
In a counter-move, Bowser ordered the words “Black Lives Matter” to be painted in large letters on a street near the White House.
Throughout Trump’s time as a private citizen post-presidency, his sentiments towards Washington have remained fervent.
While campaigning, he notably expressed intentions to “take over” the city and undermine local governance.
In August 2023, during a brief visit to plead not guilty to charges stemming from his effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat to President Joe Biden, he took to social media to call the capital a “filthy and crime-ridden embarrassment to our nation.”
In anticipation of what could be several years of defensive strategies against formidable opponents controlling Washington’s governance, Bowser and the D.C. Council are preparing themselves.
“We just have to do our best and hold on for another few years. We need to figure out ways to navigate this situation,” remarked Councilmember Christina Henderson.
She expressed her belief in Trump’s statements, explaining, “He has made it clear what he intends to do.”
Henderson, who has previously worked for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, emphasizes that Trump has already navigated what she refers to as “the trifecta”—Republican leadership in the White House and both Congressional chambers—during the initial years of his presidency, and the District managed to endure it.
Moreover, she pointed out that control over the House of Representatives will be contested again in two years.
“I can’t forecast their actions,” she warned. “I can only prepare to react.”
Responding to the likely moves of a confrontational White House and Congress presents significant challenges, particularly given the District’s limited self-governance.
Under its Home Rule designation, Congress has the power to oversee all D.C. laws and can also repeal them entirely.
Even after Trump’s exit from the presidency, proactive Republicans on the House Oversight Committee pressed Bowser and the D.C. Council, often publicly challenging them regarding local crime statistics.
Notably, the most comprehensive interference from Congress in the District’s governance occurred during the Democratic control of both the Senate and the White House.
In 2023, a major overhaul of the D.C. criminal code, labeled as lenient on crime by House Republicans, faced significant setbacks when both Senate Democrats and President Biden agreed to rescind the law.
“We are aware that the district often serves as a convenient target for some of these individuals,” Councilmember Charles Allen pointed out.
“Without statehood or autonomy, our laws are perpetually at a higher risk than those of other Americans.”
Both councilmembers suspect that a slew of budgetary riders will be inserted into the annual appropriations bill, aimed at modifying district laws in various ways.
Lawmakers have long resented these riders, arguing that Congress tends to interfere with D.C. matters in ways that they would not sanction in their own states.
“They feel empowered to act against the district in a way they would never attempt in their own jurisdiction,” remarked Allen.
He highlighted the controversial “Harris rider,” named after Maryland Representative Andy Harris, who has consistently utilized budgetary provisions to block the local government from establishing any kind of regulatory framework for taxing or overseeing marijuana sales, despite Maryland’s legalization of recreational marijuana.
“He can’t make it work in his own state, yet he can impose it on us,” reiterated Allen.
Last year’s appropriations bill initially contained riders proposing the elimination of all traffic speed cameras in D.C. and prohibiting the district government from banning right turns on red lights.
While those ideas ultimately fizzled during negotiations, Allen worries that the incoming Congress will not have Democrats in a position to help thwart many of the more objectionable budget provisions.
Other congressional Republicans have set their sights on enforcing more radical transformations regarding Washington’s governance.
Representative Andrew Clyde from Georgia has suggested entirely abolishing the Home Rule Act, whereas Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has publicly entertained the idea of dissolving the D.C. mayor’s office.
Neither Ogles nor Clyde’s offices provided any responses to inquiries about their future plans.
Despite the imminent challenges ahead, Bowser’s pursuit of common ground with Trump and Republican Congress members may not be entirely futile.
Although she vetoed the criminal code modification, the D.C. Council ultimately overrode her decision; her opposition to the reform was frequently cited by Republican lawmakers as evidence of how far the council had deviated from mainstream Democratic ideologies.
Additionally, Bowser, Trump, and congressional Republicans have shown consensus on one issue over the years: the necessity of ending teleworking arrangements post-pandemic and urging all federal employees to return to their offices full-time.
She expressed eagerness to discuss this with Trump moving forward.
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