A couple of months into President Donald Trump’s return after a four-year absence, his administration won a prominent PR victory against local government in Democratic-dominated Washington, D.C. In March 2025, the Black Lives Matter street mural on 16th Street NW — a short walk from the White House — was permanently removed and painted over.Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered the removal of the iconic yellow lettering following pressure from the White House and the threat of congressional legislation. In early January 2027, that kind of federal government pressure may become a regular occurrence in the capital, with Bowser retiring from the mayoralty after 12 years.Bowser’s mayoral replacement is set to be Janeese Lewis George, a socialist councilwoman, who won the crucial June 16 Democratic primary. That makes the general election a mere formality in a city where about 92% of registered voters are Democrats, 6% are Republicans, and 1% or fewer each are Libertarian or Statehood Green.
D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George (center) celebrates after winning the mayoral primary election on election night on June 16. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
On the campaign trail, she offered Washington, D.C., voters a menu of undiluted leftism. Including what she called subsidized or even free childcare, increased down-payment assistance for homebuyers, and community resources to reduce crime.Lewis George’s looming ascension is expected to revive Trump’s scrutiny of the local government after months of intervening in its affairs. Bowser had settled into an uneasy truce with Trump, cooperating with his takeover of the district, a move that came with a heavy National Guard presence, last year. But Lewis George’s election could change that dynamic, and the president recently indicated he’ll ratchet up the federal government’s involvement if she wins.When asked last week about the prospect of Lewis George winning, Trump told reporters he “wouldn’t like it.” “Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” he said at the White House. “We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.”
