With simply days left earlier than President Donald Trump’s federalization of Washington’s police drive was set to run out, Mayor Muriel Bowser successfully eliminated the clock.
On Tuesday, Bowser signed an order directing metropolis officers to work with federal legislation enforcement “to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District.” The order doesn’t include a sundown clause—basically giving Trump’s expanded federal presence a inexperienced gentle to proceed previous the 30-day authorized restrict, which was purported to expire subsequent week.
Armed Nationwide Guard members stroll by means of Washington.
The transfer marks a dramatic departure from Bowser’s early pushback towards Trump’s occupation of town. By making a everlasting construction for coordination—together with a brand new emergency operations heart—she’s signaling that she’s prepared to work with Trump’s process drive relatively than attempt to push it out.
Trump wasted no time applauding the choice, calling Bowser “very helpful” throughout a press convention and praising town’s falling crime fee. And a senior White Home official advised The Washington Publish that Trump was “delighted” by the order.
Bowser framed the directive as a “pathway forward” past Trump’s 30-day emergency declaration. And whereas it asks that federal brokers keep away from carrying masks and determine themselves to take care of public belief, its general tone is conciliatory.
Critics say it’s capitulation. Almost 80% of Washington residents oppose Trump’s takeover, in accordance with a current Schar College ballot for the Publish. Progressive teams, in the meantime, blasted the mayor in a letter final week, warning that “appeasement” solely encourages future federal overreach.
“History is calling upon you to lead our people, not to cower in the face of an authoritarian who does not have our best interests in mind,” the letter learn.
However as a substitute of pushing again, Bowser has positioned herself as a prepared collaborator in Trump’s takeover effort.
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She shared draft language of the order with senior White Home officers, signed off on further police cooperation with ICE, and even credited Trump with driving down crime—though violent crime had already been falling earlier than his invasion.
In response to the Publish, Bowser’s aides consider that working with Trump is one of the best ways to guard Washington’s fragile “home rule,” which permits town restricted self-governance however leaves Congress with final authority.
Behind the scenes, Bowser has stored in common contact with Legal professional Common Pam Bondi, White Home chief of workers Susie Wiles, and deputy chief of workers Stephen Miller. One senior official mentioned that she speaks with Bondi “at times daily.”
Her method is at odds with different Democratic mayors and elected officers, who’ve loudly resisted Trump’s federal deployments. Over the weekend, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson advised metropolis departments to not cooperate if Trump sends within the Nationwide Guard. However Bowser is betting that constructing belief with the White Home might safe key wins for Washington—together with a deal to redevelop RFK Stadium.
Nonetheless, her stance is politically dangerous in a metropolis the place greater than 92% of voters backed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris final 12 months. And several other metropolis council members have began to interrupt with Bowser, accusing her of legitimizing Trump’s intervention.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
“Most Washingtonians want decisions guided by our community values, not federal overreach,” council member Zachary Parker advised the Publish.
At the same time as she touts falling crime, Bowser has criticized ICE’s presence, saying that masked brokers are “terrorizing communities” and calling the usage of the Nationwide Guard pointless. Her order doesn’t explicitly lengthen cooperation with ICE, however it does welcome federal companies on different fronts.
For Bowser, the query now could be finally wind down Trump’s emergency powers with out triggering a standoff.
“We didn’t ask for any federal officers; we’re driving crime down,” she mentioned final week. “But while they’re here, how can we most strategically use them to accelerate the work that MPD has done? … The next point is, how do we exit from this emergency the president declared?”
Trump, for his half, seems joyful to maintain the partnership going.
“We don’t have a crime problem in Washington anymore,” he advised reporters on Tuesday. “And the mayor has been very helpful.”
Bowser’s order could scale back the chance of a showdown in Washington, however the metropolis stays in a fragile spot—between a mayor betting that cooperation will shield native management and a president keen to indicate that federal muscle will get outcomes.
In the meantime, tensions in Chicago are already rising. Trump mentioned Tuesday that he plans to ship federal troops in regardless of native opposition, signaling that the standoff isn’t over—it’s simply shifting to the following metropolis.
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