Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has signed an executive order formalizing cooperation with federal forces, appearing to acquiesce to the military occupation of the capital initiated by Donald Trump. The move comes despite resident opposition to the federal troops in the city. The order establishes the “Safe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center”—borrowing Trump’s own phrasing—to institutionalize collaboration between municipal officials and various federal agencies, including the FBI.
Bowser has rejected accusations that she is willing to continue the military mobilization ordered by Trump. “I want the message to be clear to Congress: we have a legal framework to request or use federal resources in our city,” the mayor told journalists during a press conference. “We do not need a presidential emergency,” she added. Her comments come as Trump’s measure is set to expire on September 10th. “Let me be unequivocally clear: the mayor’s order does not extend the Trump emergency,” she stated. “In fact, it does the exact opposite. It establishes a framework for ending the emergency. The emergency ends on September 10th,” she reiterated.