Her order said the district would “ensure coordination with federal law enforcement to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District.” It further requires Washington to “continue to communicate its priorities to federal counterparts and other ways the federal government can assist the District.”<\/p>\n

TRUMP SEES CRIME CRACKDOWN AS THE ISSUE TO BLOW UP THE BLUE CITY DEMOCRAT COALITION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Many on the Left excoriated the move. The left-wing outlet the New Republic<\/em> described<\/a> the order as “sickening.”<\/p>\n

Before Bowser signed the order on Tuesday, an alliance of progressive groups slammed her handling of Trump’s federal takeover, dismissing her concerns about crime.<\/p>\n

“Your talk about crime fighting and crime rates only lends credence to the federal overreach, invites future attempts to degrade our home rule, and feeds a narrative that dehumanizes our neighbors and puts them at greater risk,” they wrote.<\/p>\n

“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,” they continued. “There is no strategy in appeasement, only the reality that the more we give, the more they will take.”<\/p>\n

Bowser voiced some pushback in the first week of the takeover, denouncing the move as “authoritarian.”<\/p>\n

“This is a time where community needs to jump in, and we all need to, to do what we can in our space in our lane to protect our city … and to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule, and get to the other side of this guy, and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push,” she said during a virtual town hall<\/a> with community leaders.<\/p>\n

Her criticism quickly tapered off after the takeover prompted a plummet in crime. Though it angered many of her progressive constituents, Bowser had no issue lauding the takeover’s benefits.<\/p>\n

“The most significant thing that we are highlighting today is the area of crime that was most troubling for us in 2023,” she said last week<\/a>, noting that since the surge of federal officers, carjackings fell by 87% compared to the same period last year. “We know that when carjackings go down, when the use of gun[s] goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer. So this surge has been important to us.”<\/p>\n

She even gave a positive assessment of her conversations with Trump.<\/p>\n

MURIEL BOWSER CREDITS TRUMP WITH DC CRIME DROP SINCE POLICE TAKEOVER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“I was reminded that the president’s interest in cities predates his time in office, and his knowledge of D.C. had significantly increased,” Bowser said.<\/p>\n

Bowser’s Tuesday executive order shows her backing of any attempt to extend Trump’s takeover, which is set to expire next week. Touting the move’s success, the president has set his eyes on similar takeovers and the deployment of National Guard troops to other big cities such as New York City and Chicago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n