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By Jesus Mesa and Gabe Whisnant
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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said the White House has "tremendous power" to run U.S. cities "when we have to" in response to a question about New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist.
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump responded to a question about New York City's mayoral election by criticizing progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani and suggesting the federal government has broad authority to step in when cities falter.
At the same cabinet meeting, Trump suggested that his team is already weighing a plan to assume direct control over Washington, D.C., citing dissatisfaction with local governance.
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"We could run D.C. I mean, we're looking at D.C.," he said, as quoted by Bloomberg. "We're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you. We want a capital that's run flawlessly."
Why It Matters
The comments come as the administration debates how far it can go to exert control over cities struggling with crime, homelessness and political infighting. The prospect of federal intervention in D.C., which has operated under limited home rule since 1973, would mark a dramatic departure from decades of precedent.
Under the Home Rule Act, the District maintains its own local government, but Congress retains ultimate authority and can overrule local laws. Trump, however, framed his remarks as a potential solution to rising crime rates and what he described as a failure of local leadership.
What to Know
Trump, who has repeatedly vowed that the U.S. would "never be a socialist country," warned that New York could be irreparably damaged if "a communist gets elected" as mayor. "New York City will work properly. We're going to bring New York back," he said.
He called Zohran Mamdani, a progressive candidate, a "disaster" who had sold New Yorkers a "good line of bulls***" and dismissed Republican Curtis Sliwa as someone who "runs every four years," while noting that Democrat Eric Adams is running as an independent this cycle.
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When asked how he wants Republican voters to cast their ballots in the mayoral election, Trump declined to endorse anyone but reiterated his broader warning: "If a communist gets elected to run New York, it can never be the same. But we have tremendous power at the White House to run places when we have to. We could run D.C. ... we don't want crime in D.C. We would run it so good ... we're thinking about doing it, to be honest with you."
He concluded, "New York City will work properly. We're going to bring New York back."
During the meeting, Trump also said his administration was still attempting to work with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, but left open the option of unilateral action.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, speaking during a cabinet meeting, said on Tuesday: "We've had a good relationship with the [Washington D.C.] mayor, and we're testing it to see if it works."
Zohran Mamdani, last week on X: "Donald Trump is attacking me because he is desperate to distract from his war on working people. We must and we will fight back."
What Happens Next
The general election for New York City mayor is November 4.
Update 7/8/25, 3:18 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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