As President Donald Trump orders a federal takeover of the D.C. police force and deploys National Guard troops to combat what he calls "out of control" crime in the nation's capital, Mayor Muriel Bowser is spending time in Martha's Vineyard for what her office described as a "family commitment."
Bowser's trip, confirmed by her office Thursday, comes just days after she met with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump's designated liaison for the public safety crackdown. Bowser is scheduled to return to Washington on Friday afternoon.
Trump's executive order places the Metropolitan Police Department under federal oversight, citing crime concerns despite the mayor’s insistence that numbers remain at historic lows. Federal officials say more than 100 arrests have been made and 25 illegal guns seized since the takeover began.
Trump said Thursday that D.C.'s crime numbers were "fudged."
Bowser told reporters Wednesday the city would "make the most" of the additional federal presence, even as her absence from the capital during the heightened security push draws attention.