{"id":2740,"date":"2026-06-15T09:04:43","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T09:04:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740"},"modified":"2026-06-15T09:04:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T09:04:43","slug":"the-next-mayor-of-dc-will-have-to-navigate-its-most-famous-resident-president-donald-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740","title":{"rendered":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div>\n<div> <div>\n<button>\n<strong>\n<span><svg>\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span>Summary<\/span>\n<\/strong>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<span><svg><\/svg>\n<\/span>\n<\/button>\n<div>\n<ul>\n<li>Washington, DC, voters head to the polls Tuesday for a mayoral primary dominated by a debate over how Democrats want leadership to respond to the Trump administration.<\/li>\n<li>Leading candidates Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie both pledge to protect home rule amid federal interference threats.<\/li>\n<li>Trump suggested last week that he might move to bring the district back under federal control if Lewis George, a democratic socialist, wins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div>\n<span>AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            Janeese Lewis George, a Washington, DC, councilmember and leading candidate for mayor, was knocking on doors when her team got word that President Donald Trump said he wouldn\u2019t \u201cput up with it\u201d if the democratic socialist wins her Tuesday primary.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2718\">The true test of Trump\u2019s Iran agreement will come only if the fighting stops<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cMaybe we\u2019ll take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,\u201d Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Her team paused its canvassing, huddled together and within a few hours released a  response.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cThreatening home rule because you don\u2019t like how residents are voting is an attack on democracy itself,\u201d Lewis George said in a video, referencing DC\u2019s right to self-governance. \u201cThe people of DC elect their mayor, and they want someone who\u2019s going to stand up to Donald Trump.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The comments from the president underscored a debate at the center of the DC mayor\u2019s race over what kind of leader Democrats in the district want standing between them and an administration threatening their autonomy.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            It\u2019s a question that\u2019s dominated Democratic primaries across the country this election cycle, endangering incumbents who some voters say aren\u2019t doing enough to push back on the Trump administration. But the deliberations over how to fight a president whose party controls both chambers of Congress have uniquely high stakes in DC, where thousands of National Guard troops still patrol the streets and the threat of federal interference is ever present.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser pauses as she speaks at a press conference on August 11, the day President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of the National Guard to the District.\" class=\"wp-image-2730\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc2d3caab3e3e4ae65c9dc935980c496.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser pauses as she speaks at a press conference on August 11, the day President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department and the deployment of the National Guard to the District.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>DC mayor\u2019s handling of Trump deployment roils residents who want more pushback<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>5  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            Both Lewis George and her main primary opponent, the more moderate former DC councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, have vowed to take on the president, build bridges with members of Congress and fight to protect home rule.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George encourages supporters to vote in Washington, DC, on Monday, June 8, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-2731\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3064be95c5072dc655a87d41941ea56c.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3064be95c5072dc655a87d41941ea56c.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/3064be95c5072dc655a87d41941ea56c-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>DC Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George encourages supporters to vote in Washington, DC, on Monday, June 8, 2026.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Eric Lee for The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie arrives at the Free DC candidate forum, an event for constituents to meet and question candidates for mayor and congressional delegate, on March 14, 2026 in the Southeast neighborhood of Washington, DC.\" class=\"wp-image-2732\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8e813172a3c550c1bc4e7ada89610f5f.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8e813172a3c550c1bc4e7ada89610f5f.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/8e813172a3c550c1bc4e7ada89610f5f-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Mayoral candidate Kenyan McDuffie arrives at the Free DC candidate forum, an event for constituents to meet and question candidates for mayor and congressional delegate, on March 14, 2026 in the Southeast neighborhood of Washington, DC.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Pete Kiehart for The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            McDuffie, who spent 13 years on the DC council before resigning earlier this year, said he has the experience to \u201cwage a smart fight\u201d against the president. He argued the president\u2019s comments about Lewis George show he would use her as an effective foil if she\u2019s elected.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cIf you believe Donald Trump is a threat to DC\u2019s local autonomy, then the last thing we should do is elect someone whose agenda would make it easier for him to justify federal intervention,\u201d McDuffie told CNN. \u201cMy message is simple: don\u2019t give Donald Trump what he wants.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Lewis George, meanwhile, has been more critical of outgoing Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, the longtime incumbent who has sought to find a middle ground between working with the administration and asserting DC\u2019s rights. She\u2019s also won the support of groups like Free DC, which formed last year to advocate for DC home rule and statehood.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Lewis George, who was elected to the DC Council in 2020, has pushed back on the suggestion that her election would give the president cover to interfere in the district\u2019s affairs.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cKenyan McDuffie has not figured out what the rest of us have. You don\u2019t stop Donald Trump by fearing him,\u201d Lewis George said in a statement to CNN. \u201cI\u2019m a daughter of the District, and I\u2019ve been fighting for DC statehood my entire life. I\u2019m not going to take a lecture from Kenyan McDuffie on Home Rule.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC Councilmember and mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George particpates in a rally and march against US President Donald Trump for No Kings Day, in Washington, DC, on March 28, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-2733\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aad18b8fee9776cbae30debedc257eef-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aad18b8fee9776cbae30debedc257eef-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aad18b8fee9776cbae30debedc257eef-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aad18b8fee9776cbae30debedc257eef.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>DC Councilmember and mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George particpates in a rally and march against US President Donald Trump for No Kings Day, in Washington, DC, on March 28, 2026.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Allison Bailey\/NurPhoto\/AP<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            When asked for more information about Trump\u2019s threat to exert federal control over DC, the White House referred CNN to the president\u2019s Oval Office remarks.\n    <\/p>\n<h2>\n        Taking up Bowser\u2019s balancing act\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the DC council, said that while candidates talk about fighting Trump on the campaign trail, \u201cbeing in office is different.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI would describe it, in a word or two, as a balancing act,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what Mayor Bowser has been attempting for the last couple of years. I think in the eyes of the residents she has not done a good enough job at that.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            DC has only been able to elect its own government since the passage of the Home Rule Act of 1973. But even that autonomy is limited. DC\u2019s delegate to Congress is a non-voting member. Congress can overturn DC laws, a power it has exercised rarely over the last 50 years. It can also pass legislation to repeal the Home Rule Act, though there appears to be little appetite to do so.  A GOP-backed measure to overturn home rule \u2014 named the BOWSER Act \u2014 failed to gain any traction.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Last August, the president sent National Guard troops to DC and declared a crime emergency in the district, allowing the federal government to take control of the city\u2019s police department for 30 days.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Members of the National Guard patrol the Washington Monument on August 16, 2025 in Washington, DC.\" class=\"wp-image-2734\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7d5df3ed6be5756d1c5929b3cbf55c9c.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7d5df3ed6be5756d1c5929b3cbf55c9c.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/7d5df3ed6be5756d1c5929b3cbf55c9c-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Members of the National Guard patrol the Washington Monument on August 16, 2025 in Washington, DC.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Tasos Katopodis\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            Bowser was critical of the federal takeover and worked to prevent an extension of the 30-day emergency that allowed it to happen. But she faced widespread backlash over what some viewed as her efforts to appease the administration, including crediting a reduction in crime to the surge in federal law enforcement.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Bowser\u2019s cooperation marked a reversal from Trump\u2019s first term, when the mayor was a leading figure in the Democratic resistance. This time around, she met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club before he retook office, and in March 2025 announced the removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza, a two-block landmark near the White House that she once championed, after the president and congressional Republicans in Congress threatened to cut more than $1 billion from the city\u2019s budget. \u201cWe have bigger fish to fry,\u201d she told CNN at the time.\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2710\">Kennedy Center exterior remains covered after Trump\u2019s name is removed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\nA Washington Post\/Schar School poll released earlier this month found that 50% of DC registered voters wanted Bowser to do more to oppose Trump, compared to 34% who said she was handling the city\u2019s relationship with the president just right. Seventy-nine percent of voters disapproved of the federal takeover of DC\u2019s police department.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser speaks during a press conference to give an update on the National Guard deployment ordered by President Donald Trump, on August 27, 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-2735\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5b04a5ffa1e92fb05c2e5a7d6d285001-768x512.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5b04a5ffa1e92fb05c2e5a7d6d285001-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5b04a5ffa1e92fb05c2e5a7d6d285001-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5b04a5ffa1e92fb05c2e5a7d6d285001.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser speaks during a press conference to give an update on the National Guard deployment ordered by President Donald Trump, on August 27, 2025.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Annabelle Gordon\/Reuters<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            A spokesperson for the mayor declined an interview request from CNN.\n    <\/p>\n<h2>\n        \u2018Pandering\u2019 promises to fight Trump?\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            Whoever wins Tuesday\u2019s primary will be heavily favored to win the November general election. The next mayor will have to strike their own balance between working with and fighting against the Trump administration during the president\u2019s final two years in office \u2013 and there\u2019s not yet a clear answer as to which candidate DC residents prefer.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            The Post\/Schar School poll found that under the city\u2019s new ranked choice voting system, 32% of registered Democratic primary voters said they would rank Lewis George first, 25% said their first choice is McDuffie, and another 26% said they were undecided. Democratic voters were split on who they trusted more to handle DC\u2019s relationship with the Trump administration, with 35% saying McDuffie and 32% saying Lewis George, within the margin of error.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Critics of Bowser\u2019s approach argue she has at times complied in advance with the federal government.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cHistory teaches us that that positioning of, \u2018Oh, let\u2019s not make trouble,\u2019 is actually very dangerous \u2026 and we\u2019ve seen that from our current mayor a lot,\u201d said Alex Dodds, the campaign director for Free DC. \u201cWe were really looking for a mayoral champion who would assert those rights.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            But others stress that any DC mayor must work with the federal government. Bill Lightfoot, a former DC councilman who ran the mayoral campaigns of both Bowser and former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, said candidates\u2019 promises to fight Trump were \u201cpandering.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cThe candidates are just blowing smoke. They\u2019re telling the people what the people want to hear,\u201d Lightfoot said. \u201cAs a practical matter, they have no power, no resources, to oppose the president.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            He said he expected that whoever wins the mayoral race will request a meeting with the president, just as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani did last year. \u201cAnd then they\u2019re going to play nice,\u201d Lightfoot said.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<header>\n<span>\n      Related article\n    <\/span>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Zohran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York, left, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Trump said he talked about the need for New York utility Consolidated Edison Inc. to lower rates during a meeting with Mamdani at the White House.\" class=\"wp-image-2736\" height=\"144\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2aecb497963a9830fc9c70995e42408c.jpg\" width=\"256\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Zohran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York, left, and US President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025. Trump said he talked about the need for New York utility Consolidated Edison Inc. to lower rates during a meeting with Mamdani at the White House.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Yuri Gripas\/Abaca\/Bloomberg\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n<span>4 takeaways from the bizarrely chummy Trump-Mamdani meeting<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div>5  min read<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<h2>\n        A democratic socialist vs. a moderate Democrat\n<\/h2>\n<p>\n            While the Trump factor has dominated much of the race, Democratic candidates have still had to make their case to voters on affordability issues and public safety.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Lewis George\u2019s campaign has drawn comparisons to that of Mamdani, another democratic socialist who defeated an establishment-backed moderate in 2025.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cWhat Mayor Mamdani and other rising leaders have been saying, and I agree with this, is that people need to see that government can work for them &#8211; not just the wealthy and well-connected,\u201d she said in a statement to CNN.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"From left, DC mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George shakes hands with a man after chatting with him about her policy ideas on April 18, 2026.\" class=\"wp-image-2737\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16b6c0b2f24656a76490f8d72d45bd6e.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16b6c0b2f24656a76490f8d72d45bd6e.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/16b6c0b2f24656a76490f8d72d45bd6e-300x205.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>From left, DC mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George shakes hands with a man after chatting with him about her policy ideas on April 18, 2026.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Leah Millis for The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Janeese Lewis George, candidate for DC mayor, carries her son, Pierce, as she arrives at Prince Hall Masonic Temple, a polling location, to vote in Washington, DC, on Monday, June 8.\" class=\"wp-image-2738\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5cf589f3f9280599b4af382d7ef6a42e.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5cf589f3f9280599b4af382d7ef6a42e.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/5cf589f3f9280599b4af382d7ef6a42e-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Janeese Lewis George, candidate for DC mayor, carries her son, Pierce, as she arrives at Prince Hall Masonic Temple, a polling location, to vote in Washington, DC, on Monday, June 8.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Eric Lee for The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            McDuffie has sought to paint Lewis George as a less experienced candidate with an unrealistic platform. He\u2019s also accused her of being soft on crime over her opposition to enforcing youth curfews to curb instances of large gatherings of teenagers behaving disruptively in public spaces. Lewis George argues curfews are dangerous due to concerns over how federal officers would enforce them.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Lewis George has attacked McDuffie over his donors and said he didn\u2019t do enough to fight for lower utility costs, a claim he called a \u201clie.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Sam Epps, the president of Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO,  which has backed Lewis George, said the candidate\u2019s focus on cost-of-living concerns is part of why they\u2019re supporting her.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cIt costs our members more money to pay for rent, to put gas in their car, to buy groceries, and Janeese Lewis George is the one who we believe \u2014 and we are supporting full throttle \u2014 that she will help tackle these affordability issues,\u201d Epps said.\n    <\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium_large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Janeese Lewis-George and Kenyan McDuffie have an exchange during a mayoral debate on June 4, at NBC4 News in Washington, DC.\" class=\"wp-image-2739\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bbc9b21b2decf32be9dd52db37253559.jpg\" width=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bbc9b21b2decf32be9dd52db37253559.jpg 768w, https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bbc9b21b2decf32be9dd52db37253559-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<span>Janeese Lewis-George and Kenyan McDuffie have an exchange during a mayoral debate on June 4, at NBC4 News in Washington, DC.<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<figcaption>Michael Noble, Jr. for The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n            For others, the race has come down to experience.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            Ashley Ruff, a DC native and advisory neighborhood council commissioner in Southeast DC, said she\u2019s supporting McDuffie because he has a longer record of fighting Trump during his tenure on the DC council. She said she wanted to vote for a candidate who she felt had shown they heard her.\n    <\/p>\n<p>\n            \u201cI want to go for somebody that, you\u2019re going to hear my voice, you\u2019re going to come and help me clean up my neighborhood, but also you\u2019re not going to push the people out of my neighborhood because you\u2019re going to try to make things better,\u201d she said. \u201cThings don\u2019t just happen overnight.\u201d\n    <\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2708\">McConnell hospitalized and \u2018receiving excellent care,\u2019 spokesperson says<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Janeese Lewis George, a Washington, DC, councilmember and leading candidate for mayor, was knocking on doors when her team got word that President Donald Trump said he wouldn\u2019t \u201cput up with it\u201d if the democratic socialist wins her Tuesday primary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Janeese Lewis George, a Washington, DC, councilmember and leading candidate for mayor, was knocking on doors when her team got word that President Donald Trump said he wouldn\u2019t \u201cput up with it\u201d if the democratic socialist wins her Tuesday primary.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Relocation Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc2d3caab3e3e4ae65c9dc935980c496.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"256\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"144\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\"},\"headline\":\"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740\"},\"wordCount\":2149,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740\",\"name\":\"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":450},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?p=2740#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Relocation Times\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/relocationtimess.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times","og_description":"Janeese Lewis George, a Washington, DC, councilmember and leading candidate for mayor, was knocking on doors when her team got word that President Donald Trump said he wouldn\u2019t \u201cput up with it\u201d if the democratic socialist wins her Tuesday primary.","og_url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740","og_site_name":"Relocation Times","article_published_time":"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00","og_image":[{"width":256,"height":144,"url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/dc2d3caab3e3e4ae65c9dc935980c496.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be"},"headline":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump","datePublished":"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740"},"wordCount":2149,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg","articleSection":["Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740","name":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump - Relocation Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-15T09:04:43+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/64bfa9801140785108d115f711dc59df.jpg","width":800,"height":450},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?p=2740#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The next mayor of DC will have to navigate its most famous resident: President Donald Trump"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/","name":"Relocation Times","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/#\/schema\/person\/3d25fb966f660ab012820a9e0acc09be","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/relocationtimess.com"],"url":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/relocationtimess.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}