DC Vote Statement in Response to President Trump’s Comments about DC and Janeese Lewis George

.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeannette O’Connor, [email protected]

“The fact that a president can suggest overriding the will of more than 700,000 Americans simply because he disagrees with the outcome of an election underscores why DC statehood is so urgently needed.”

Washington, DC (June 29, 2026) – Amy Vruno, Executive Director of DC Vote, made the following statement in response to President Trump’s social media comments about Janeese Lewis George, the presumptive DC mayor-elect.

“We are grateful to Senator Cory Booker and the growing number of members of Congress who have spoken up in defense of DC residents and our right to self-government. Their leadership sends an important message: democracy does not stop at the District’s borders.

“President Trump’s comments about Janeese Lewis George are about more than one elected official—they raise a fundamental question about whether the people of Washington, DC have the same right to choose their own local leaders and govern their own affairs as every other American.

“The people of DC have spoken. Their choice deserves to be respected—not met with threats of federal intervention. The fact that a president can suggest overriding the will of more than 700,000 Americans simply because he disagrees with the outcome of an election underscores why DC statehood is so urgently needed.

“Democracy means respecting the will of the voters. Until DC residents have the same rights, representation, and self-governing authority as every other American, our democracy remains incomplete.”

###

About DC Vote

Founded in 1998, DC Vote is a national citizen engagement and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening democracy and securing equality for all in the District of Columbia. Learn more at www.DCVote.org.