Donald Trump accused Washington D.C. mayoral nominee Janeese Lewis George of being a "communist" and claimed she would destroy the capital city if elected, according to posts on his Truth Social account yesterday [1, 2].
Lewis George, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, won the Democratic primary on June 23 and is seen as the likely victor in the November general election [3, 2]. Trump criticized her platform, saying she wants to "empty the prisons, make D.C. a Sanctuary City, oppose ICE, welcome Criminal Illegal Aliens back into our beloved Capital, resist Anti-Crime Crackdowns, Defund the Police, continue and expand Cashless Bail," among other policies that he described as "Capital destroying" [2].
Trump also defended his record in Washington D.C., claiming he made it a "Safe and Prestigious Community" with nearly no crime and an extensive beautification campaign, including refurbishing a golf course and resurfacing the Reflecting Pool with a blue coating, though reports say the coating has peeled and algae has grown [3, 1]. "Many people, including myself, have worked long and hard to get it there, and we will not let it be destroyed by a Communist adherent who has no intention to, MAKE WASHINGTON GREAT AGAIN!" he said [2].
He urged support for law and order policies and criticized Lewis George's opposition to police funding and support for more lenient criminal justice measures [1, 2]. Trump has previously deployed National Guard troops in Washington D.C. and threatened to end the district's home rule if crime is not curbed [3, 2].
Lewis George responded by calling Trump's National Guard deployment a "direct attack" on residents [2]. Trump said he plans to meet with Lewis George, though no details were given on timing or agenda [1, 2].
The political debate over the D.C. mayoralty is expected to intensify ahead of the November election. Trump’s public challenge to Lewis George marks a rare direct intervention by the former president in local D.C. politics.
The next scheduled event in the race is the general election in November, where Lewis George is widely expected to appear on the ballot as the Democratic nominee [3, 2].
