Trump suggests potential federal takeover of DC and NYC
President Donald Trump on Tuesday floated the idea that his administration could take over control of New York City and Washington, D.C. — two Democratic-led cities he’s repeatedly criticized. His comments came during a Cabinet meeting in the White House after he was asked about New York’s upcoming mayoral election.
Trump weighs in on NYC mayoral race
Trump took aim at Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, calling him “a communist.” Trump also mentioned other candidates — incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa — but has not yet endorsed anyone.
“We’re going to have — if a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same,” Trump said when referring to Mamdani. “But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to.”
Trump also criticized the city’s ranked-choice voting method and called his relationship with Adams a “test.”
“New York City will run properly,” Trump said. “We’re going to bring New York back.”
Mamdani’s response to Trump
Mamdani hasn’t responded to Trump’s latest remarks, but addressed earlier criticism in a post on X on July 2.
Mamdani wrote: “Donald Trump is attacking me because he is desperate to distract from his war on working people. We must and we will fight back.”
After defeating Andrew Cuomo in June’s Democratic primary, Mamdani has centered his campaign on affordability and public service — proposing free child care, free buses, and city-run grocery stores.
Trump floats federal control of DC
Trump didn’t elaborate on the legal mechanism for taking control of New York, but soon shifted his focus to Washington D.C.
“We could run D.C. We’re looking at D.C. We don’t want crime in D.C. We want the city to run well,” Trump said. “We’re thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that’s run flawlessly.”
He said his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, is working with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, but gave no details about how a federal takeover might work.
Bowser’s relationship with Trump
Bowser, who is a Democrat, has maintained a working relationship with Trump during his second term — meeting at the White House to discuss issues like building a new stadium for the Washington Commanders and the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House. Still, Trump has criticized homeless encampments and crime in the city.
However, preliminary data from D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department shows violent crime is down 25% from 2024, and overall crime has dropped 8%.
Can Trump legally take over DC or NYC?
Under the 1973 Home Rule Act, D.C. governs itself but remains subject to congressional oversight. Congress retains authority over local laws and budgets — a power it used in 2023 to block two local bills, including one that updated the city’s criminal code.
A federal takeover of New York City would likely face much steeper legal and political hurdles.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
