Holy Mother of Michelle Obama, what happened to Washington, D.C.’s mayor after she met with President-elect Trump? Did Muriel Bowser step into an alternate reality where mutual respect trumps partisan bravado?
Usually a beatdown of a Black woman of this magnitude garners protests. But after Trump crucified Bowser, the reports were glowing. According to MSN, the meeting was nothing short of cordial:
“Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser revealed that she had a ‘great meeting’ with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, who threatened to ‘federalize’ the ‘crime-ridden’ district on the campaign trail.
‘Today, President Trump and I had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities for the President’s second term,’ Bowser said in a statement.
The three-term Democratic mayor indicated that she and Trump agreed on wanting the nation’s capital ‘to be the best, most beautiful city in the world’ and ‘reflect the strength’ of the United States.”
“We discussed areas for collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure,” Bowser added. “I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20.”
Before this encounter, Bowser was no stranger to throwing shade at Trump. But in a post-meeting statement, she sounded downright optimistic. Some white staffer must have handed her the memo: President Trump doesn’t play. And unlike her sisters-in-arms, namely Fani Willis and Letitia James, Bowser showed President-elect Trump nothing but respect.
From Smack-Talking to Collaboration
Pre-election Bowser wasn’t exactly a fan of Trump. She’d painted the words “Black Lives Matter” in bright yellow on a street near the White House, staking her claim to D.C. as if it were her personal fiefdom. Her chief of staff had tweeted:
“There was a dispute this week about whose street this is. Mayor Bowser wanted to make it abundantly clear that this is D.C.’s street and to honor demonstrators who were peacefully protesting.”
And who could forget Bowser’s critique of Trump’s handling of BLM protests? She practically accused him of reenacting a scene from “Call of Duty” by deploying tear gas outside the White House. Back then, Bowser treated Trump like the ghost of lame-duck Biden—dismissive, condescending, and confident he was politically finished.
Breonna Taylor, on your birthday, let us stand with determination.
Determination to make America the land it ought to be. pic.twitter.com/XOfu6CGEGY
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) June 5, 2020
As Obama said, “Elections have consequences.”
But Trump’s election victory clearly recalibrated her approach. With MAGA stronger than ever, Bowser must have realized that the man she once antagonized is now in a position to do something unprecedented: reinstate the Control Board.
During his campaign, Trump didn’t hold back:
“We will take over the horribly run capital of our nation in Washington, D.C., and clean it up, renovate it and rebuild our capital city so there is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime,” Trump said. “But, rather, it will become the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world. Right now, if you leave Florida – let’s go, darling. Let’s look at the Jefferson Memorial, let’s look at the Washington Monument. Let’s go and look at some of the beautiful scenes, and you end up getting shot, mugged, raped.”
“We’re going to take over our capital, and we’re going to run it tough and smart, and we’re going to beautify it,” Trump continued. “We’re going to get all the graffiti off the marble. We’re going to fix the roads and the median, which are falling down all over the streets. We’re going to make our capital beautiful again.”
Trump’s vision for D.C. could make even HGTV envious: a city scrubbed clean of graffiti, its roads paved smoother than a Vegas blackjack table, and its monuments free from the “rat-infested” reality Bowser’s critics often highlight. He’s not aiming for marginal improvements; he’s promising a metamorphosis.
A History Lesson: The Control Board
For those unfamiliar, the Control Board—established under Bill Clinton in 1995—was a federal takeover of D.C.’s governance. Jack Evans, a former council member, described the possibility of its return as “catastrophic.”
“Democracy would pretty much not exist,” Evans explained. “The Control Board and city manager would be running the city. The mayor would have ceremonial functions like Barry did back in the day.”
Imagine if Trump’s Control Board were staffed by Elon Musk-like innovators. Bureaucratic inefficiency wouldn’t stand a chance. It’d be like replacing a rusted-out Pinto with a Tesla Model S—smooth, efficient, and almost too fast to believe.
A New Sheriff in Town
Bowser’s newfound pragmatism isn’t just about surviving Trump’s second term; it’s about thriving under his leadership. She’s smart enough to see that collaboration might yield better results than conflict. Trump’s presidency has the potential to reshape D.C. in ways not seen for decades, turning the city into the crown jewel of American governance.
Further, Bowser’s pivot could serve as a cautionary tale for others—like Fani Willis and Letitia James. These women might still be clinging to their anti-Trump playbooks, but even they—eventually—will bow to the new king. After all, Trump isn’t just a political figure; he’s a force of nature. And nature always finds a way.
