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Donald Trump calls for crackdown on ‘unsightly’ homeless near White House
Donald Trump highlighted homeless encampments near federal buildings in Washington, DC, including the US State Department and the White House.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to address the issue of homelessness in the nation’s capital. He stressed the presence of homeless encampments near several federal buildings, including the US State Department and the White House, and warned that if the situation was not resolved, his administration would take direct action.
“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. 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. Thank you Mayor Bowser for your efforts on behalf of the Citizens of our Country. Hopefully you will be successful!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Washington DC to remove 'Black Lives Matter' painting
The US capital will also remove the large "Black Lives Matter" mural painted on a street near the White House as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser faces pressure from both President Donald Trump and the Republican-led Congress, the Associated Press reported.
Bowser acknowledged the decision on the social platform X on Tuesday, saying: “The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a painful period, but now we can't afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern.”
Mayor's conflict with Trump
The decision reflects a significant shift in Bowser's stance toward Trump and congressional Republicans compared to his first term.
In June 2020, Bowser, a Democrat, ordered the mural’s creation and renamed the intersection Black Lives Matter Plaza as a symbolic act of defiance amid nationwide protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis police officer.
Her handling of the protests put her at odds with Trump, who accused her of losing control of Washington DC, and even threatened to take over the Metropolitan Police Department. Although he did not act on the threat, his administration imposed a multiagency lockdown, which included low-flying helicopters aimed at intimidating protesters.
However, during Trump’s second term, Bowser has taken a more conciliatory approach, avoiding direct conflict and minimising areas of disagreement.
She even travelled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate for a meeting after his election and has publicly highlighted shared priorities, such as their mutual push for federal employees to return to in-office work.
(With Associated Press inputs)
