March 6, 2025 Story by: Editor
WASHINGTON (AP) — The large “Black Lives Matter” mural painted on a street near the White House will be removed as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser faces mounting pressure from both President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress.
Bowser highlighted the decision on the social platform X, stating, “The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern.”
The move signals a notable shift in Bowser’s stance toward Trump and congressional Republicans compared to her approach during his first term. A Democrat, Bowser had originally commissioned the mural and renamed the intersection Black Lives Matter Plaza in June 2020 as a symbolic act of resistance following nationwide protests against police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Her actions at the time placed her in direct opposition to Trump, who accused her of failing to maintain control over the city and threatened to take over the Metropolitan Police Department. Although he never enacted this plan, Trump did implement a multi-agency crackdown, which included helicopters flying at low altitudes to disperse protesters.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, Bowser has taken a more cautious approach, aiming to minimize conflict. She visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate after his election and has publicly emphasized areas where they share common ground, such as advocating for federal employees to return to in-person work.
Trump has recently reiterated his campaign pledge to push for a federal “takeover” of Washington, portraying the city as plagued by crime, graffiti, and homelessness. Bowser has refrained from commenting on reports that the White House is preparing an executive order targeting the capital but has publicly stated that the biggest threat to Washington’s autonomy comes from “some of the people in Congress.”
With Republicans controlling both chambers, Congress has repeatedly threatened to intervene in local governance, from citywide policies to minor regulations. A proposed measure, the BOWSER Act, seeks to fully repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act, which grants Washington limited self-governance.
Such a move would likely spark significant debate, given the GOP’s narrow House majority. Some legislators have attempted to use budget riders to influence local policies, from marijuana legalization to traffic regulations like right turns on red lights. Additionally, some congressional Republicans have openly criticized the Black Lives Matter mural.
While Bowser and Trump both support bringing federal employees back to their offices, Trump’s broader push to reduce the federal workforce has already impacted the city’s economy. Last week, the city’s chief financial officer projected a $1 billion budget shortfall over the next three years due to a decline in federal jobs.
Bowser’s alignment with Black Lives Matter in 2020 was met with skepticism from activists at the time. The local Black Lives Matter affiliate dismissed her actions as “performative wokeness” and accused her of favoring law enforcement. Following her recent decision, the same activists once again criticized her.
Nee Nee Taylor, a founding member of the D.C. Black Lives Matter affiliate, addressed Bowser on X on Tuesday, writing, “You never cared about Black Lives Mattering. You painting those words were performative.”
Source: AP News
