WASHINGTON — Before this week’s snow fell, President Donald Trump summoned Mayor Muriel Bowser to the White House in a rare Oval Office meeting for a D.C. mayor.
“I’m not sure if a (D.C.) mayor has had an Oval Office meeting with the president before,” Bowser said.
It’s her second sit-down with Trump since his November election.
As a resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW and the namesake of Trump International Hotel inside the Old Post Office building, Trump is a supporter of the District of Columbia, Bowser believes.
“The president, in all of my interactions with him directly, has been very respectful and complimentary of our city,” Bowser said.
She also asked Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld to attend Monday’s Oval Office meeting.
“I wanted the president to know Paul and to know Metro and to know the unique federal responsibility involved with Metro,” Bowser said.
More than 30 percent of Metrorail riders are federal employees.
The president promised close communications between the White House and District government, the mayor said.
“He’s interested to make sure that we have the contacts in his government and the White House, specifically, to get things done that we need to get done in D.C.,” she said.
