President Trump once again threatened a federal takeover of Washington, DC, on Tuesday, apparently after he learned that former DOGE staffer Edward “Big Balls” Coristine was assaulted in an attempted carjacking in Logan Circle early on Sunday morning.
Taking over DC is not a new idea for Trump, who talked about it a lot on the campaign trail last year. This year, as President, Trump floated a takeover in February. Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared to tamp down Trump’s acquisitive tendencies when she removed Black Lives Matter Plaza in March, but Trump, who often returns to previous musings under stimulus, brought it up again last month when a deal with the Washington Commanders stalled.
So what could he actually do? DC is a federal district with no Congressional representation, but Congress granted it limited home rule in 1973. President Nixon signed the legislation, saying, “it is particularly appropriate to assure those persons who live in our Capital City rights and privileges which have long been enjoyed by most of their countrymen.” DC can elect its own mayor and council, but all of its legislation must be approved by Congress, which can also stymie local laws.
Republicans have often led opposition to DC’s laws, forbidding the District from establishing a recreational marijuana market after an initiative to do so was overwhelmingly passed by voters here, for instance. This year, two GOP congressman introduced legislation to overturn home rule, and the party has moved to prevent DC from imposing a ban on right turns on red, among other traffic laws.
But Democrats aren’t shy about bossing DC around, either. In 2023, the Senate, then controlled by Democrats, overturned a DC crime bill, and President Biden signed the legislation. It was a Democratic President, Bill Clinton, who signed a 1995 bill establishing a financial control board in DC after Marion Barry was re-elected mayor following his conviction for misdemeanor drug possession and the city’s finances crashed.
If he were to act within the law—an increasingly big “if” with this guy—Trump would need Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act. That’s unlikely to happen in the Senate, where Democrats would likely filibuster such an attempt. But Trump can (and has) deployed the DC National Guard, and he could take over the DC police without going through Congress. Since he’s become President, federal law enforcement agencies, of which there are dozens in DC, have increased enforcement of nuisance crimes on federal land in the District and cleared out camps occupied by homeless people. He’s also taken over the Kennedy Center, ordered a “content review” at the Smithsonian, and threatened the same stadium deal he previously promoted unless the Washington Commanders revert to their old racist name—all part of his attempts to reshape all aspects of life in Washington.
Taking over DC would take more work than the President has put into it so far, but if there’s any lesson to take from his first six months in power, it’s that Trump is not easily swayed from his prior impulses. And he appears to truly believe that he could run the country and its capital, too.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
