Trump has had a strained relationship with the capital's Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, since his first term.
I think we should govern strongly, govern with law and order, make it completely flawless, he said to journalists late on Wednesday on Air Force One.
Trump claims that he gets along "well" with Bowser, but that her governance does not do enough.
They're not doing the job – too much crime, too much graffiti, too many tents on the lawns.
Trump says he wants to make the city safe because people are "being killed" and "injured" – without giving any examples of what he means.
Bowser has not responded directly to the president, but writes on the platform X that Washington "is a world-class city". She also says that it is the only place in the USA where you can see pandas for free.
Washington, with a population of around 700,000, is a federal district rather than a state.
