President Donald Trump suggested the federal government could “take back” Washington, D.C., if Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist leading in polls for the Democratic primary, wins the district’s mayoral race this year.

Backlash to Trump’s administration is central to the D.C. mayoral race, as Trump has clashed with leaders in the heavily Democratic district and other left-leaning cities throughout his second term over issues like immigration and public safety. D.C. is one of the most liberal places in the country, giving Trump less than 7 percent of its vote in the 2024 election, so whoever emerges victorious from the June 16 Democratic primary will be heavily favored to win the general election.

Trump was asked about the race after speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, as a reporter asked him about the candidacy of Lewis George, comparing her to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a fellow democratic socialist.

Trump said he “wouldn’t like it” if she wins the election.

“Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” he said. “We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses. By the way, Washington now is a safe, beautiful place.”

His comments come as Lewis George leads in polls and prediction markets.

Newsweek reached out to leading D.C. mayoral campaigns for comment via email.

DC Mayoral Candidates Rebuke Trump Remarks

D.C. mayoral candidates rebuffed Trump's stance in comments to Newsweek on Thursday.

Rini Sampath, a cybersecurity director, told Newsweek in a brief phone interview that she was “blown away” by Trump’s comments. “At the same time, we all knew something like this was going to come our way, with the president stepping in and trying to interfere with our local elections. Fundamentally, we have to do everything in our power to stop Trump from taking over the city.”

She added that D.C. is a “majority-Black city that has been denied full democracy for decades,” and that federal interference carries the message that the “people of D.C. cannot be trusted to govern themselves.”

Ernest Johnson, CEO and chairman of the nonprofit Friends of the Frank Reeves Center, told Newsweek Trump’s comments “highlight exactly why the people of the District of Columbia must remain vigilant in protecting Home Rule and local self-government.”

“Washington, D.C. residents, not the White House, Congress, political insiders, or special interests, should decide who governs our city,” he said.

Johnson criticized local leaders “who fail to stand up forcefully and independently when Washington residents' interests are at stake" and said fellow candidates Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie “have failed to adequately protect D.C.'s autonomy, affordability, public safety, and accountability to residents.”

Hope Solomon, who has worked in national security, in a statement to Newsweek criticized opponents who have “proudly said they wouldn’t work with this administration,” emphasizing the need for a mayor who is “willing to sit at the table and negotiate.”

“You don’t protect D.C.’s autonomy by refusing to show up. You protect it by showing up, making your case, and fighting for the city. Right now, we’re facing a budget crisis. The last thing we need is political grandstanding from people who would rather make a statement than make progress,” she said.

Janeese Lewis George’s Polling Lead

Only two polls have been released of the Democratic primary, both of which show Lewis George with a lead over the several other candidates.

This year's mayoral primary election will mark D.C.'s first time using a ranked-choice system, where voters will rank candidates based on their preference. After all votes are counted, if no candidate reaches 50 percent, the one with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated, and their voters will be redistributed based on their second choice. That continues until a candidate reaches a majority.

Here is a look at what those two polls show:

The Washington Post/George Mason University (May 27-June 1; 836 likely Democratic voters)

• Janeese Lewis George: 36 percent
• Kenyan McDuffie: 25 percent
• Vincent Orange: 4 percent
• Gary Goodweather: 3 percent
• Rini Sampath: 3 percent
• Ernest Johnson: 1 percent
• Hope Solomon: 1 percent

City Cast/TrueDot (May 12-17; 487 registered Democrats)

• Janeese Lewis George: 39 percent
• Kenyan McDuffie: 34 percent
• Gary Goodweather: 7 percent
• Vincent Orange: 5 percent
• Rini Sampath: 4 percent
• Ernest Johnson: 3 percent
• Hope Solomon: 2 percent

The general election is not expected to be competitive due to the district’s heavily Democratic makeup.

What Do Prediction Markets Show?

Lewis George also leads prediction markets, having an 89 percent chance on Kalshi and an 87 percent chance on Polymarket as of Thursday afternoon.

Prediction markets allow traders to buy and sell contracts tied to political outcomes and current events, aggregating real‑money wagers into probability estimates. Prices fluctuate as traders react to polling, fundraising, candidate developments and broader political trends. They measure trader sentiment at a given moment but do not always accurately predict the future.

Who Is Janeese Lewis George?

Lewis George serves as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia. She earned a law degree from Howard University and has worked in Philadelphia as a prosecutor. She was first elected to the council in 2020 and is a self-described democratic socialist who has been endorsed by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

If elected, she would become the first democratic socialist mayor of Washington, D.C., reported The Washington Post.

Trump Has Suggested Revoking DC Home Rule Before

Trump has used similar rhetoric in the past on D.C.’s home rule over crime concerns.

“Washington, D.C., must be safe, clean, and beautiful for all Americans and, importantly, for the World to see. If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City, and run this City how it should be run, and put criminals on notice that they’re not going to get away with it anymore,” Trump wrote in August 2025, after an employee of the Department of Government Efficiency was attacked during an attempted carjacking.

Then-President Richard Nixon signed the Home Rule Act in 1973, giving D.C.’s population the ability to elect their local leaders, but Congress still retains significant control over local affairs. A revocation of the agreement would go through Congress. Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, local powers in D.C.

Senator Mike Lee and Representative Andy Ogles, both Republicans, have introduced legislation to revoke the home rule agreement, but it hasn’t passed majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate.