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.

In August, President Donald Trump declared a “crime emergency” and deployed members of the National Guard, who continue to patrol parts of the city.

Violent crime in the city decreased by 35% between 2023 and 2024, and so far this year, it has decreased by 28%, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Pol

See Full Page