Trump threatens to take over Washington if ‘Mamdani-style’ candidate wins mayoral race

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump appears determined not to let Washington follow the same path after watching New York slip into Zohran Mamdani’s column.

The 79-year-old President recently threatened to take over Washington if any Democratic candidate won the mayoral race.

In the Washington mayoral race, City Council member Janeese Lewis-George, a Democratic socialist, is leading former City Council Member at-Large Kenyan McDuffie (D) by double digits according to the Washington Post-Schar School poll.

Survey results show Lewis-George has 36 percent support among likely voters compared to McDuffie, who has 25 percent support.

After enduring a series of public attacks from Trump, incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser decided not to pursue re-election and has so far remained neutral in the contest to replace her.

Trump says, 'We’re not going to lose our businesses'

The President was signing an Oval Office executive order on Thursday, June 11, when he was asked about the upcoming mayoral race for Washington, DC's next mayor.

"Mr. President, here in Washington, D.C., there is a Democratic primary for mayor. One of the two leading candidates, Janeese Lewis-George, is running a Zohran Mamdani campaign focused on socialist policies. How would you feel if she emerges victorious in next Tuesday's race?" the reporter asked.

To which, Trump replied, “Well, I wouldn’t like it, and maybe we’d take back Washington and run it on the federal basis.”

“We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses. By the way, Washington, now, is a safe, beautiful place.”

“People are coming; restaurants are thriving. The restaurants were all closing, closed. Nobody wanted. Now you can’t get restaurant space, you can’t get in. We have a thriving community; we got rid of the crime,” he added.

Trump issued similar warnings ahead of New York City's mayoral race, vowing to send federal troops to "clean up" the city and even suggesting that Zohran Mamdani could face arrest and deportation if elected. While those threats never materialized, Trump ultimately followed through on one promise by withholding federal funding from the city.

Lewis George says she won’t allow fear of Trump to dictate their actions

Janeese Lewis George argued that they would not get "ICE off our streets" by "fearing this president" and would not protect their rights or Home Rule by "obeying in advance."

“Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself,” she said.

The campaign for Kenyan McDuffie, Lewis George’s main competition in Tuesday’s primary, released a statement saying, “The stakes of this election couldn’t be higher, but DC decides who will be the next mayor, not Donald Trump.”

The statement defended home rule and noted overreach by the Trump administration, promising to “revive our economy that Trump’s policies have decimated, including the tens of thousands of residents who have been laid off by his unconscionable actions with Elon Musk.”