WASHINGTON—The sound of jackhammers filled the air on 16th street in downtown Washington as construction workers began removing a mural bearing the words “Black Lives Matter” from the pavement.
The teardown began under the direction of Mayor Muriel Bowser, after Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) introduced a bill with an ultimatum on March 3: Remove the slogan from the street at Black Lives Matter Plaza—and rename it Liberty Plaza—or the government will strip the District of Columbia of some of its federal funding.
President Donald Trump has also recently proposed that the federal government reclaim control of Washington in order to deal with its ongoing homelessness and crime. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) have already introduced legislation to strip Bowser of her position….