Why doesn't Washington have a governor like states do?
Washington, D.C. is a district not a state. It does have a mayor, but is still largely controlled by the federal government.
President Donald Trump's decision to send National Guard troops to Washington and put the Metro Washington Police Department under direct federal control comes in part because of the city's unique status as a district, rather than a state.
Trump made the announcement in a August 11 press conference, saying the move is intended to bring down crime in the city. According to crime statistics from the Metropolitan Police Department released August 11, show that violent crime in the city is down 26% from 2024.
Why doesn't Washington have a governor like states do?
Washington is a district, not a state, so it doesn't have a governor. For most of it's history it didn't have control over its own budget or affairs. Instead, U.S. Congress and the president both play some of the roles managing the district that a governor would.
In 1973, Congress gave locals some authority with the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which allowed citizens to elect a Mayor and Council.
But, Congress still reviews all legislation passed by the Council before it can become law and has authority over the District’s budget. The president appoints District judges, and citizens have a delegate in the House who cannot vote rather than a representative.
Trump cited Section 740 of the Home Rule Act in taking control of the police department.
Who is Mayor Muriel Bowser?
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser is the district's seventh elected mayor. She was elected in 2015 after serving as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner from 2004 to 2006 and as a Member of the D.C. Council from 2007 to 2015.
Bowser and Trump clashed during his first term, but so far have had a cordial relationship in his second term.
On Aug. 8 she pushed back on Trump's claims that rising crime warranted the federal government taking over law enforcement in the city, but acknowledged that he can.
"We are not experiencing a crime spike," she said on MSNBC's "The Weekend." "The President is very aware of our efforts. He established a task force, which our police department and agencies support with information and anything else they ask us for. ... It is always the President's prerogative to use federal law enforcement or the National Guard."