Urban League Leaders Decry Racially-Motivated "Political Grandstanding" in the Face of Falling Crime in D.C.

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2025) — National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Greater Washington Urban League President and CEO George H. Lambert today condemned the inappropriate federal takeover of D.C. police as part of the Trump administration's dishonest campaign to paint Black-led cities in a negative light.

The leaders issued the following statement:

" The federal takeover of D.C. police and the threat of similar action in other cities that are led by Black mayors is the basest form of political grandstanding. Mayor Muriel Bowser is to be congratulated for leading D.C. to a 30-year low in violent crime. But the Trump administration is counting on racial stereotypes to override the facts and override an unprecedented power grab.

"Mayor Bowser has demonstrated a very measured and strategic approach to navigating the city through a challenging moment, making  DC a safer city for residents and a world class destination for visitors

"Painting a false picture of the city's largest Black-majority cities, led by Black mayors, is part of the Trump administration's ongoing strategy to exploit racial distrust for political gain. 

"America's armed forces and federal law enforcement personnel do not deserve to be exploited or used as partisan tools. They could be of far more use responding to natural disasters such as the flooding in Wisconsin and Texas. If the Trump administration really wants to make urban communities safer, it should replicate the successful strategies of mayors like Muriel Bowser."