Washington, DC is a district, not a state. There is a mayor, but it is still largely controlled by the federal government.
Trump sends federal agents to DC amid youth crime concerns
President Donald Trump deployed federal agents to DC and called for minors to be prosecuted as adults amid criminal concerns in his administration.
President Donald Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops to Washington and bring the Washington State Police Department directly under federal control is due to the unique status of the city as a district rather than a state.
Trump made the announcement at a press conference on August 11, saying the move was intended to defeat the city. Crime statistics from the Metropolitan Police Station released on August 11 show that violent crime in the city has fallen 26% since 2024.
Why can’t Washington have a governor like the state?
Washington is a district, not a state, so there is no governor. For most of its history, it had no control over its own budget or issues. Instead, both the US Congress and the President play part in the role of governing the districts in which the governor does so.
In 1973, Congress gave local people the powers of the District of Columbia Home Rules Act.
However, the council still reviews all laws passed by the council before it became law and has power over the district’s budget. The president appoints district judges and citizens cannot vote in the House of Representatives, not representatives.
Trump cited section 740 of the Home Rules Act when he controlled the police department.
Who is Mayor Muriel Cowser?
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser is the district’s seventh elected mayor. She was elected in 2015 after serving as a commissioner for the Advisory Bureau from 2004 to 2006 and as a member of the DC Council from 2007 to 2015.
Bowser and Trump clashed in his first term, but so far, his second term has had a heartfelt relationship.
On August 8, she pushed back Trump’s claim that the rise in crime ensured the federal government took over the city’s law enforcement, but admitted he could.
“We haven’t experienced a surge in crime,” she said on MSNBC’s “weekend.” “The President is very aware of our efforts. He has set up a task force. Our police departments and agencies support us with information and what they want from us.
