News4 is learning more about D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s meeting with President-elect Trump, including what she told him about public safety in the District and what he told her about the Washington Commanders.
Back in 2016 after Trump's first election, Bowser traveled to Trump Tower in New York to meet with Trump, and then in early 2017, she met with him in the Oval Office. So, it’s not unusual that, like so many others, after his election victory, Bowser went to Florida to meet face-to-face with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
"I know my job is to speak up for the residents of the District of Columbia," Bowser said. "I left that meeting with the president's commitment to work with us to stay in line and communication with us and that's what we're gonna do. We know there are some big issues."
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The meeting on Monday lasted about an hour. Bowser was reluctant Wednesday to talk about specifics of their conversation.
"I would characterize it as a good meeting and a meeting that was forward-looking," she said.
On the campaign trail, Trump was blunt about his plans to take control of the D.C. government away from the mayor.
"We will take over the horribly run capital of our nation in Washington, D.C., and clean it up, renovate it and rebuild our capital city so there is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime," Trump said while campaigning in Florida over the summer.
During a separate campaign stop, Trump said: "And we're going to take it away from the mayor. And, again, that doesn't make me popular there, but I have to say it."
Bowser said Wednesday that Trump didn't say anything about taking control of the D.C. police department and public safety during their meeting.
"No, none whatsoever," she said. "I was pleased to report the progress that we've made in the city with violent crime, and I was pleased to talk about how the president of the United States plays an outsized role in our criminal justice system."
And while Bowser wouldn’t provide details on any discussion of the RFK stadium site deal, she did mention Trump’s thoughts on the Commanders' rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
"I'm not gonna talk about any specifics about [the] RFK [stadium site]," Bowser said. "It came up, like, on a very high level in conversation ... He was well-aware of Jayden Daniels and why he should be the rookie of the year and possibly the MVP."
Bowser did make a point of telling reporters she and the incoming president shared common ground on downtown D.C.
"Lastly, I will say — and I will mention this as a point of particular synergy with the incoming Trump administration — and that is the continued comeback and revitalization of the downtown, beautifying the downtown, and investing in our beautiful capital city," she said.
Bowser told reporters that she does plan to attend Trump's inauguration ceremony.
