Dream City Podcast

President Trump is calling out Janeese Lewis George — attacking her as a "communist," but says he'd meet with her. In this week's Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down whether D.C.’s incoming left can find any workable ground with the White House. Plus: The next major battle at the Wilson Building will be over taxes. They dig into the pressure to raise new revenue after the city’s budget c...

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom are joined by veteran D.C. strategist Chuck Thies to break down Janeese Lewis George’s sweeping mayoral primary victory, why Kenyan McDuffie’s campaign never found its footing, and what the results say about the city’s political direction. Cuneyt also talked to Ward 1 D.C. Council Democratic primary winner Aparna Raj, a tenant organizer who describ...

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down the final days of D.C.’s mayoral race — including President Trump slamming Janeese Lewis George, Muriel Bowser’s all-but-official endorsement for Kenyan McDuffie, and the different paths each candidate has to victory. They also look at the other races on the ballot, the growing role of outside spending and dark money, and how Trump’s sup...

Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark and former Loose Lips columnist at Washington City Paper, joined the Dream City Podcast as guest co-host this week. Cuneyt and Will broke down the Kenyan McDuffie vs. Janeese Lewis George sprint to the finish — the ground game, the prediction markets, the Chipotle moment, and what ranked choice voting could mean for the outcome. Plus: DC somehow spent a...

D.C. Council member Robert White joined the Dream City Podcast for a wide-ranging interview about why he’s running for Congress, how he’d take on President Trump, and what he thinks about some of the biggest stories right now — including that Chipotle brawl. Cuneyt and Tom talk with White about his D.C. roots, why he pivoted from a Bowser rematch mayoral run to the delegate race, and what sets him...

WMATA General Manager Randy Clarke joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about how he helped turn D.C.'s Metro system around, what America gets wrong about transit, and why the future of Washington depends on getting transportation right. Randy talked with Cuneyt and Tom about everything from fare evasion, permitting, and union tensions to the politics of building faster, the challenge...

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt is joined by Mark Segraves to break down the fallout from MPD’s crime stats scandal, what it means for Mayor Bowser’s legacy, and how it could affect trust in the police department. They also talk about growing White House pressure on D.C. ahead of this summer’s America 250 celebrations, new courtroom drama tied to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner su...

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom break down a packed stretch in D.C. politics: the mayor’s race entering a sharper new phase, new questions around labor and Janeese Lewis George’s campaign, and who Kenyan McDuffie hopes turns out to vote this year. They also dig into President Trump’s move to take over East Potomac Golf, plus a speed round on Metro’s funding problem, D.C.’s online...

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt and Tom break down the fallout from "Oppo-gate" — Brooke Pinto’s dossier release, the return of youth curfew politics at the D.C. Council, and new signs that the mayor’s race is getting more negative. 00:00 Introduction + On The Road 01:21 Brooke Pinto’s Oppo-gate Fallout 07:24 D.C. Curfew Politics Return to the Council 10:01 Robert White’s Money Problem 1...

On this week’s Dream City roundup, Cuneyt and Tom break down D.C.’s worsening budget squeeze, Mayor Bowser’s push to spur redevelopment of empty federal buildings, and the political fight over teen curfews as White House pressure grows. They also dig into Cuneyt's reporting on how a proposed Tysons casino collapsed in Virginia — and what it means for the rest of the DMV. Plus, what the first clean...

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Tom breaks some news about growing White House pressure on D.C. over youth curfews and teen takeovers. There's also a new ethics investigation involving Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and Cuneyt and Tom talk about the deal to keep the Nationals in Washington through 2058. Plus: campaign season weirdness, including sign wars and what it all says about the mood o...

On this week’s Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom unpack a chaotic new chapter in the D.C. mayor’s race after a heated debate between the frontrunners — plus a surprising comeback bid by former council member Jack Evans. They also dive into a growing clash between the Trump administration and local leaders over plans to remove a key bike lane near the National Mall, and what it signals about the f...

D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie is running for mayor — and he joined Dream City for a wide-ranging conversation about affordability, crime, and how he’d deal with President Trump. McDuffie opened up about growing up in Stronghold during the crack epidemic, losing friends to gun violence, and the experiences that shaped his public safety agenda. He argued he's the most prepared candidate in the...

In a wide-ranging interview, D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto shares her journey from childhood in Connecticut to her political career, why she wants to represent D.C. in Congress, and how she would deal with President Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill. Pinto is running to succeed retiring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton in a crowded race that includes her council colleague Robert White. She explai...

Cuneyt and Tom talk about D.C.'s mayoral candidates throwing jabs as the election heats up. Plus, the city's finances are a mess, now made worse by Congress overturning the city's tax code. In the speed round, Cuneyt talks about a new effort to get rid of the Height Act while Tom finds a Gallup survey that says basically no one wants to go back to the office. 00:00 Introduction 02:13 Overheard at...

Council member Janeese Lewis George is running for D.C. mayor — and she joined to talk about how she'd handle President Trump, how she'd pay for a child care expansion, and her vision for the future of Washington. Cuneyt and Tom covered a lot of ground, from her stance on zero cooperation with ICE to ways JLG would try to find areas of agreement with the Trump administration (see: downtown develop...

D.C.'s newest (interim) council member Doni Crawford joins to talk about whether D.C. is in a recession, how city hall will budget during one of the most difficult years in recent memory, and how she got to the Wilson Building. 00:00 Introduction to Council member Doni Crawford 01:28 Is DC In a Recession? 02:45 Congress Smacks Down DC Tax Changes 06:44 DC's Recession-Like Budget Year 10:27 Doni Cr...

In this President's Day Episode, Cuneyt and Tom talk about city hall bracing for a recession-like budget, after DOGE hammered D.C. jobs economy. Mayor Bowser says tough choices are ahead. Progressives warn the social safety net is is being dismantled. Plus, one of the worst sewage spills in U.S. history is happening in the Potomac River. Local leaders should speak up more about the environmental d...

The Washington Post laid off 300 journalists in an apocalyptic week for local media. Then embattled CEO Will Lewis also got the boot. Cuneyt and Tom discuss what's next for the Post — and reveal the media scheming underway to fill the void. Plus, it's a heated election season as fundraise reports come due in the mayoral and D.C. delegate races. And Trump world is obsessed with classical architectu...

Mayor Bowser caught flak last week after the city struggled to clear out snow and ice. Mayoral candidates swooped in with their own criticisms. In this episode, Tom Sherwood is out this week, and joining Cuneyt is Michael Schaffer, longtime D.C. journalist and co-host of the City Cast D.C. podcast. Mike talked about his exclusive interview with John Norton, the son of the retiring Del. Eleanor Hol...

The 2026 D.C. mayoral race is off to a heated start, with claims to fundraising records by both candidates Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George. In this episode of the Dream City Podcast, Cuneyt and Tom are joined by NBC4's Mark Segraves to talk about how the D.C. Council cut out the public as it picks an interim council member. Plus, we talk about the new Commanders stadium's monumental desig...

In this episode of the Dream City Podcast, hosts Cuneyt and Tom discuss Trump's new takeover project — D.C.'s public golf courses. The Trump administration terminated the leases of a local nonprofit managing the courses, while the organization hires a high-powered law firm to potentially fight back. Meanwhile, Trump reportedly wants a Ryder Cup or PGA event — the conversation highlights why that m...

There's a new police chief in town, but not before Pamela Smith gave a stunning farewell speech, blasting her haters with an "F-U." Smith leaves after a rollercoaster 2.5 years, and under pressure from Republicans over allegedly cooked crime stats. Which got Tom and Cuneyt thinking: How will new chief Jeffery Carroll handle the White House? Meanwhile, Council member Kenyan McDuffie is quitting the...

Mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George is off to the races, and with so many open D.C. Council seats, progressives hope that 2026 will be their big year in local politics. Cuneyt and Tom talk about the future of D.C. Speaking of the future, Cuneyt reports that Waymo is way behind on its D.C. rollout, thanks to a delayed DDOT study and bureaucracy standing in the way. The robotaxi future is on hold...

After ten years, Mayor Bowser is bowing out. Cuneyt and Tom record a special episode on Bowser's decision to not seek a fourth term, discussing her legacy and who wants to be mayor next. The Dream City Podcast is supported by launch partner SpotlightDC: Capital City Fund for Investigative Journalism . The Dream City Podcast will hold the powerful accountable and take you inside D.C.’s business and...