Cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the deployment of National Guard troops have left a lingering sting in 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 the Fortune 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, [with] 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.
