In Washington, D.C. — Local news outlets, including Fox 5 DC, say that Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, D.C., is in Martha’s Vineyard right now for a “family commitment.” The news comes at a time when the District is about to be taken over by the federal government. President Donald Trump has taken emergency authority of the Metropolitan Police Department and is in charge of cleaning out homeless camps.
At first, a spokesman from the Mayor’s office informed DC News Now that Bowser was out of town to pick up her daughter. Later, the office’s official statement only said that she had a “family commitment” and would be back on Friday afternoon. Fox 5 DC and other news sources later confirmed that she was on the island. Many people are upset with the timing of her travel, especially those who think she should be in the city during this unusual time of federal action.
Bowser’s Careful Position During the Takeover
Bowser, a Democrat, is in a tough political spot because of the circumstances. She has labeled Trump’s actions “unsettling and unprecedented,” but she has also been more willing to work with him than she has been in the past. Some of her Democratic followers didn’t like that she said the federal presence and the deployment of National Guard troops may be “positive” in fighting crime.
This is a change from how she used to deal with the Trump administration, which was more combative during his first term. In 2020, she made headlines when she painted the words “Black Lives Matter” on a street close to the White House. This time, though, she is said to have met with Trump at his home in Florida and is trying to establish common ground. She also changed her mind on the Black Lives Matter painting and ripped it up when Republicans in Congress put pressure on her.
Because the federal government took over, federal agents and National Guard troops have been sent in, and the city has started to clean out homeless camps. Pamela Smith, the city’s police chief, has said that the agency is short approximately 800 officers and that having more federal officers in the area will “improve public safety.” The issue shows how dangerous it is for Washington, D.C., which is not a state and has limited home rule and is always at risk of federal involvement.