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In response, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser quickly seized the opportunity to advocate for full statehood for the district, criticizing the federal government’s intervention as an infringement on local autonomy. She described the current arrangement as a limitation that undermines the democratic rights of D.C. residents, emphasizing their status as American citizens who pay taxes and serve in the military.
Bowser acknowledged that the city had experienced a surge in crime since the COVID-19 pandemic, but she insisted that recent measures, including imposed curfews and increased law enforcement efforts, had been successful. She asserted that D.C. had recently achieved a 30-year low in crime rates, contrasting sharply with the grim portrayal offered by Trump.