Washington, D.C., officials cleared a homeless encampment on Friday that had drawn criticism from Trump, although city officials said the removal was already scheduled before his social media remarks.
Earlier in the week, Trump wrote on his social media platform, “We have notified the Mayor of Washington, D.C., that she must clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments in the City, specifically including the ones outside of the State Department, and near the White House. If she is not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her! Washington, D.C. must become CLEAN and SAFE!”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to the post, saying, “We always clear homeless encampments. We always do. We do it according to protocols that have worked in the District that won’t have the effect of just moving people around, but trying to get them housed.”
Many of the encampments that Trump cited in a Truth Social post were on federal property, which falls outside the city’s jurisdiction.
City officials told ABC News the clearance had been delayed due to weather. D.C.’s previous encampment removals have drawn criticism from local activists for years.
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson
