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Pres. Trump warns DC home rule is at risk if Lewis George wins
With just days to go until the D.C. mayoral primary, President Trump is threatening D.C. home rule. The president is expressing his concerns if frontrunner and D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George wins Tuesday's primary.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Home Rule Act to take over Washington, D.C., depending on the results of next week's mayoral primary.
What we know:
On Thursday, Trump was asked about next Tuesday's Democratic mayoral primary election. D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, is considered the frontrunner.
Lewis George leads the latest polling by 11% over former councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.
What they're saying:
When asked how he'd feel if Lewis George were to win Tuesday's primary, Trump said that he "wouldn't like it."
RELATED: Here's who is running in DC's mayoral primary on June 16
"Well, I wouldn't like it, and maybe we'll take back Washington and run it on the federal basis," Trump said. "We won't put up with it. We're not going to lose our business."
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WATCH: President Trump takes questions in the Oval Office
President Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump did not elaborate on what he meant by "losing" business.
What is the Home Rule Act?
Dig deeper:
While the Home Rule Act established the D.C. Council in 1973, one section of the law lets the president take over the Metropolitan Police Department for 48 hours or up to 30 days during emergencies, according to The Associated Press.
Janeese Lewis George responds
The other side:
In a statement to FOX 5, Lewis George called the threat "an attack on democracy itself.
"We are not going to get ICE off our streets by fearing this president," Lewis George said. "We are not going to protect our rights or Home Rule by obeying in advance. Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of DC elect the mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Donald Trump."
McDuffie's campaign also issued a statement following Trump's comments on Thursday, saying "DC decides who will be the next mayor, not Donald Trump."
"As Mayor, I’ll fight tooth and nail to protect Home Rule and defend against MAGA federal overreach, keep our city safe and revive our economy that Trump’s policies have decimated, including the tens of thousands of residents who have been laid off by his unconscionable actions with Elon Musk," McDuffie said.
What's next:
D.C.'s primary election is on Tuesday, June 16.
The Source: Information in this story is from President Donald Trump, a statement from D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George and The Associated Press.