Cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the deployment of National Guard troops have left a lingering sting on Washington, D.C.—so much so that the mood of residents continues to be “very anxious.”
That’s according to Muriel Bowser, the three-term mayor of the nation’s capital, speaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit today.
“It’s an unsettling time, and I would point directly to the shifting footprint of the federal government in Washington,” Bowser said.
“What we’re seeing is just devastating impact on unprecedented immigration enforcement, and that has the impact, obviously, on individuals, on their families, on their ability to work, but it also has a big impact on business,” she said.
“People aren’t going to work,” she added. It’s something she expects will have a lasting impact across industries, such as hospitality, tourism, and construction.
Bowser said she will announce “at the appropriate time” if she will seek a fourth term next November.
