We’ve previously written about what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for D.C. He has promised to “take over our horribly run capital,” gut federal programs, and purge federal workers. But, now that the inauguration is almost here, here’s how it's all becoming reality.
Get Back to the Office
Mayor Muriel Bowser met with Trump last week to discuss “shared priorities,” the largest of which is an agreement to push federal workers back to the office, though their reasons differ. Since then, WMATA has ordered their employees back to the office. It's safe to say our WFH days are numbered.
DC Progressive Bills Face the Chopping Block
Local lawmakers changed the names of several liberal-sounding bills to avoid GOP backlash as Republicans take control. DC Council hopes that by quietly changing the names of some more liberal-sounding bills, they could still pass under the radar.
A few under threat are the “Reparations Foundation Fund and Task Force Establishment Act of 2023,” that would study reparation proposals for those wronged by slavery, and the “Advancing the Range of Reproductive Options for Washingtonians Amendment Act of 2024,” which would require insurance companies to cover vasectomies.
D.C. ramps up security surrounding the Capitol in preparation for inauguration. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Loyalists in DC Courts
Trump ally John Irving is a top contender for the president-elect’s U.S. attorney in Washington. Irving is a lawyer who has represented Trump loyalists, such as Stephen Miller. If selected, he would preside over hundreds of Jan. 6 cases — assuming Trump doesn’t pardon them first. Irving’s suspected appointment has heightened fears that Trump will also select loyalists to fill D.C.’s many vacant judge positions.
