Trump threatens federal takeover of DC if George wins

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would consider a federal takeover of Washington, D.C., if Democratic mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George wins the city's upcoming primary election. The president made the remarks in response to a question about the race, stating he "wouldn't like it" if Lewis George, a democratic socialist and the current frontrunner, were to become the Democratic nominee.

The Democratic primary is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16. Lewis George, a member of the D.C. Council, leads in recent polls over her closest rival, former councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. The winner of the primary is heavily favored to win the general election in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Trump suggested the federal government could "take back Washington and run it on a federal basis." He did not elaborate on specific plans but claimed his previous federal interventions had made the city safer and more prosperous. He cited crime reduction efforts and infrastructure projects like the renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Official crime statistics show a decline in violent crime, though not to the degree the president claimed.