D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and President-elect Donald Trump met on Monday to discuss his inauguration and second term in Washington, the mayor's office said in a late night news release.
In a short statement, Bowser said the two talked about collaboration between the city and federal government on several topics like the federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces and infrastructure.
"President Trump and I both want Washington, D.C., to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation," the statement read in part.
Bowser said she's optimistic that the pair can continue to find common ground, but that's far from guaranteed.
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Trump has repeatedly described the District as crime-ridden and poorly run. During his presidential campaign, he threatened to take the city away from the mayor. Since Washington, D.C. is a federal district, the president can exert control over it by removing its independence and putting in place a Control Board to oversee operations. The Metropolitan Police Department can also be federalized.
Previously, Bowser did not rule out the possibility of going to court to try to block any federal takeovers of D.C. agencies. If that happens, D.C.'s attorney general would represent the city in court.
It's not clear where Monday's meeting took place, but a source told News4 that Bowser is out of town. It may have happened at Trump's Mar-a-Lago compound.
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This is likely the first time the two have met since he won the presidency in November. At that time, Bowser said she reached out to the Trump campaign to meet.
The mayor's office had no additional comment on the meeting.