After years of a strained relationship, President-elect Donald Trump and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser met Monday to discuss shared priorities.
Bowser, a Democrat, said in a statement it was a “great meeting” and that she and Trump “want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation.”
As The Hill notes, the two had previously met in 2016 and were initially on good terms, but the relationship declined over the years.
In 2018, Trump said he was canceling a military parade through D.C., blaming local politicians for the $92 million price tag.
Bowser responded to Trump’s comment with some sarcasm, claiming to be the local politician who “finally” got through to the “reality star in the White House.”
Two years later, Trump sharply rebuked Bowser, calling her incompetent after she withdrew military personnel and federal law enforcement from the 2020 George Floyd protests in the city.
The then-president said Bowser was “constantly” coming to the federal government for “handouts,” and the National Guard had saved her from “great embarrassment” with the protests.
The two sparred over the Black Lives Matter protests across the city. In a letter, Bowser asked Trump to withdraw the law enforcement presence in Washington since protesters were peaceful. (The Hill)
In her statement, Bowser said the two “discussed areas of collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure.”
Bowser expressed her optimism that she will “continue to find common ground with the President” and said she looked “forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20.”
Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser met with President Donald Trump.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) December 31, 2024
Following the meeting, the Mayor shared the following statement: pic.twitter.com/XGRyQaDJW5
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