Donald Trump hints at possible federal takeover of Washington, DC: 'Wouldn’t be hard for us to do it'

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell that's raising eyebrows in the capital and beyond.

During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, July 8, Trump suggested that his administration might take control of Washington, DC, a move that would upend the city's home-rule status.

“We could run DC. I mean, we’re looking at DC,” Trump said. “We’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that’s run flawlessly.”

Donald Trump signals possible federal control of DC

According to Donald Trump, his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, has already been in contact with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. While Bowser is a Democrat, her relationship with the Trump administration has recently been rather cordial.

The mayor has been working with Trump’s team during his second term on projects like a new NFL stadium near the old site by the Anacostia River and even helped remove the Black Lives Matter Plaza that once fronted the White House. Still, Trump continues to criticize the city for its crime rates and homeless encampments.

“We would run it so good, it would be run so proper, we’d get the best person to run it. And we know the crime would be down to a minimum, would be much less. And, you know, we’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you,” the president said on July 8.

He doubled down: “We want a capital that’s run flawlessly, and it wouldn’t be hard for us to do it. And we’ve had a good relationship with the mayor and we’re testing it to see if it works.”

This DC takeover talk didn’t come out of nowhere. It followed Trump’s comments about another city he says needs “fixing”, New York.

He took aim at Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist who just won the Democratic primary for NYC mayor.

Trump warned New Yorkers not to vote for him in November, calling him a “communist” and hinting at federal action.

“If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same, but we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to,” he said. “New York City will run properly. We’re going to bring New York back.”

Mamdani is set to face off against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams (now running as an independent), Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

Donald Trump's DC takeover talk sparks fierce debate online

Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump’s suggestion to take over DC sent social media into a frenzy, and his supporters were fired up.

“Absolutely, he should do this,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“Should’ve been done long ago!” another wrote.

“DC should be run by the White House. The entire city exists due to the US Capitol being there,” one comment read.

But not everyone agreed. "Leave DC alone!" one person wrote.

“DC voted for home rule. Isn’t this a democracy? Oh, wait,” someone else chimed in. 

“RIP democracy,” another lamented.

Donald Trump’s DC plan faces legal hurdles, murky constitutional ground

First, there’s the Congressional angle. Under Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the US Constitution, Congress has “exclusive legislative authority” over the district. But the 1973 Home Rule Act gave DC the power to elect its own mayor and council, ABC News reported.

So, while Congress can override DC decisions, and has in recent years (like in 2023, when the House blocked a local criminal code update), completely revoking home rule would be a massive leap.

Second, presidential powers are murky here. The Constitution doesn’t spell out how much authority the president has over DC governance. Sure, the president can enforce federal laws, but stepping in to manage the city directly would likely spark lawsuits and accusations of executive overreach.

Third, the legal and political blowback would be huge. For Trump to take the reins, Congress would probably need to rewrite the Home Rule Act. That would most certainly result in legal resistance, public protests, and national debate.

Also, this isn't DC statehood. In fact, it’s the opposite. Statehood advocates argue that giving DC more autonomy and voting representation in Congress is the way forward. Trump’s idea would roll things back to pre-1973 levels, or even further. 

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