DC Mayor Caves To Trump, Agrees To Remove BLM Mural Near White House

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser is backing down on one of the most visible symbols of left-wing activism in the nation’s capital, announcing Tuesday that the city will paint over the massive “Black Lives Matter” mural near the White House. The move comes after pressure from the Trump administration, Bowser said.

The large yellow lettering, which stretches across a two-block section of 16th Street NW and was originally painted in 2020 amid nationwide protests, is set to be removed as part of a broader city project. The reversal marks a significant shift from Bowser, who once championed the mural as a rebuke to then-President Donald Trump.

Bowser attempted to reframe the decision in a statement, saying the city was focused on economic recovery and safety rather than what she described as “meaningless congressional interference.”

“We have long considered Black Lives Matter Plaza’s evolution, and the plaza will be part of D.C.’s America 250 mural project, where we will invite students and artists to create new murals across all eight wards,” Bowser said.

“The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a very painful period, but now we can’t afford to be distracted… Our focus is on economic growth, public safety, and supporting our residents affected by these cuts.”

2020.06.12 Black Lives Matter Plaza, Washington, DC USA

Despite her claim that the decision was based on city priorities, Bowser acknowledged Wednesday that the White House played a role in the move. Trump had criticized the mural as a divisive political stunt in the past.

“We have bigger fish to fry than fights over what has been very important to us and to the history, and especially in our ability to keep our city safe during that time, that mural played a very important part,” Bowser said according to NBC4. “But now our focus is on making sure our residents and our economy survives.”

The Plaza was a two-block-long section of 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C., near the White House. The area gained national attention in June 2020 when the words Black Lives Matter were painted in massive yellow letters on the street by order of Mayor Bowser in response to protests following the death of George Floyd.

Washington, DC – Jan 16th 2021: DC’s Black Lives Matter Plaza to remain open but with strict security ahead of the Biden-Harris inauguration

Bowser confirmed that her decision to repaint the plaza was made independently of Rep. Andrew Clyde’s (R-GA) legislative proposal.

“Well, I’m not going to talk about specifics, about my conversations, but I think it’s safe to say that people don’t like it, didn’t like it. It’s safe to say, you can imagine that, yes,” she said. Clyde’s bill threatened to withhold federal transportation funds unless D.C. renamed the area Liberty Plaza and removed references to the Black Lives Matter Plaza.

“My intention was to announce this with our next America 250 commission meeting, which will be later this month,” Bowser said. “So while the announcement came a little bit sooner than I had planned, the decision had been made.”

She added, “We expect to have a discussion, a citywide discussion, about how we will honor the nation’s semiquincentennial, and we expect it to be a part of that discussion, but we don’t support the congressman’s bill.” Bowser also mentioned plans to introduce a new mural in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.