For immediate release
Metro DC DSA Statement on Trump’s Threats to Revoke DC Home Rule
Date: June 12, 2026
Media Contact: For all press inquiries, please contact media@mdcdsa.org.
Washington, DC: Yesterday, Donald Trump made it clear that he views the democratic will of Washingtonians as a minor inconvenience. Asked about the potential victory of our endorsed candidate for mayor, democratic socialist Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, Trump openly threatened that the federal government would “take back” Washington and run it on a federal basis if she wins.
We should be clear about what is happening here: This is a direct, authoritarian attack on the 700,000 residents of Washington, D.C. It is a racist, anti-democratic attempt to disenfranchise a historically Black and working-class city because the billionaire class is terrified of what happens when regular working people actually take power.
We will not be intimidated by a white supremacist bully in the White House, nor will we let the threat of federal overreach dictate our vision for a just, socialist future in our city.
Why the Right Wing Fears Janeese Lewis George
Trump and his developer donors are terrified of Janeese because her platform directly threatens their profit margins. They aren’t afraid of “chaos”; they are afraid of organization and working-class power. Janeese is leading the polls because she is running on a platform that delivers what the working class of this city actually needs:
- Dignified Homes DC: A historic commitment to build publicly owned, mixed-income social housing—putting people over developer profit.
- Universal Childcare: Ensuring affordable childcare for working families.
- True Public Safety: Investing in strategies that address the root causes of violence, expanding mental health crisis teams, and keeping neighbors safe without relying on mass incarceration.
- Green New Deal for DC: Accelerating the removal of lead pipes and retrofitting public schools to combat environmental racism.
Home Rule is Working-Class Self-Determination
For decades, the political establishment in D.C. has told residents that we must play nice with Congress, roll back progressive policies, and appease the right wing just to preserve a hollowed-out version of “Home Rule.” Trump’s comments prove that federal power will always be used as a weapon against us the moment we dare to vote for our own material interests.
True liberation does not come from begging fascists for permission to govern ourselves. It comes from deep, organized solidarity. The fight for D.C. Autonomy and Statehood is fundamentally a working-class struggle against capitalist and federal containment.
Our Response: Organize, Mobilize, Win
To Donald Trump and the corporate interest groups funding the attack ads against our movement: We are not backing down.
We call on every socialist, union member, tenant organizer, and resident of the District to respond to this threat by expanding our movement. We will fight for Janeese Lewis George’s vision of a D.C. that belongs to everyday people, not capital. When she is elected, we will continue to organize beyond the ballot box to ensure that the voice of the working class is heard in the halls of the John A. Wilson Building, Congress, and corporate executive suites.
The primary election is on June 16, 2026. Use your ranked-choice ballot to place Janeese Lewis George at number one. Tell your friends, family and community to do the same. Join our last canvasses before election day to spread the word. Let’s show the White House exactly what working-class solidarity looks like.