U.S. President Donald Trump's delivers a speech to a joint session of Congress, in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 4, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
President Donald Trump took aim at Washington, D.C.'s Democratic mayor and the city's "unsightly homeless encampments," warning that if the tent cities aren't dealt with expeditiously, the federal government will do it for her.
The nation's capital has faced a significant homeless encampment problem, and the issue has grown in recent years with homelessness increasing across the city. As of March, the situation has continued to worsen:
A recent report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments showed a 12 percent increase in homelessness in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia since 2023, with an additional 1,078 homeless people on the streets. D.C. has also upped its efforts to clear encampments, with the city averaging eight "encampment engagements" per month last year, up from 6.8 per month the previous year.
ALSO READ:'Absolutely unconscionable': Ex-Republican demands Trump removed from office after fight
In August, officials in D.C. were tracking 74 encampments, including 127 tents and structures.
And on Wednesday, the issue caught the attention of the commander-in-chief.
"We have notified the Mayor of Washington, D.C., that she must clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments in the City, specifically including the ones outside of the State Department, and near the White House," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "If she is not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her! Washington, D.C. must become CLEAN and SAFE! We want to be proud of our Great Capital again."
Trump thanked Mayor Muriel Bowser for her efforts, and concluded "Hopefully you will be successful!"
Bowse has found herself in direct opposition of Trump on several occasions, publicly feuding with him in the summer of 2020 following the forceful removal of racial justice protesters near the White House. In response to the incident, Bowser renamed the protest area "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and commissioned a large mural with "Black Lives Matter" painted on 16th Street, close to the White House.