WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the federal government should take over governance of Washington, DC.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he likes the mayor of the US capital, Muriel Bowser, but her administration is not "doing the job," citing too much crime and graffiti and too many tents on lawns, referring to homeless people.

“I think that we should govern the District of Columbia. I think that we should run it strong, run it with law and order, make it absolutely flawless," he said.

"I think we should take over Washington, DC, make it safe. People are getting killed. People are being hurt. You have a great police department there, but somehow they're not utilized properly. We should govern DC. I think the federal government should take over the governance of DC and run it really, really properly," he added.

Washington, DC operates under a mayor-council form of government, but its autonomy is limited by Congressional oversight due to the Home Rule Act of 1973.