President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to exert federal control over Washington, D.C., again if Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George wins the primary election next week and the general election in November.Lewis George, a self-described socialist, is one of many candidates running in the Democratic primary on June 16. A reporter compared Lewis George to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, another socialist, in asking the president for his thoughts on her.“I wouldn’t like it,” Trump said when asked about the front-runner’s hypothetical primary victory. “Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis. We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.”
His comments were amplified by the White House’s Rapid Response 47 account on X.
Q: There's a crazy socialist running for mayor of Washington, D.C. What if she wins?@POTUS: "I wouldn't like it — and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis. We won't put up with it. We're not going to lose our businesses." pic.twitter.com/XDG1977D2W— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 11, 2026
Trump boasted about his decision to federalize the district’s law enforcement last August, saying the crime-reduction efforts transformed the city into “a safe and beautiful place” and revitalized the local restaurant scene.
