Former Biden White House aide runs for DC Council to stand up to Trump, who has been ‘hostile to our neighbors’

Longtime gun violence prevention advocate Gregory Jackson says he’s ready to bring his federal government experience to the local level: “I want to be a part of the solution.”

In 2023, Gregory Jackson made history when he became the deputy director of the White House’s first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The longtime gun violence prevention advocate’s time in the Biden administration was marked by great success: every major city in the nation saw historic reductions in crime, including homicides.

Since leaving office, Jackson returned to his advocacy roots, a role he took on nearly 13 years ago after he was shot on the streets of Washington, D.C. However, despite the reductions in crime across the country, gun violence continues to haunt the nation’s capital–and has even personally touched Jackson.

“I’ve lost two loved ones, including my mentee, Demarcos, here in D.C., in that time, and my home that I live in now was shot up 16 times while I was serving in the White House,” Jackson, who is president of the Rocket Foundation and adviser to Community Justice Action Fund, told theGrio.

The continued threats against public safety in D.C. and the return of President Donald Trump, who shuttered the White House Office of Gun Violence on his first day in office and slashed billions in gun violence prevention funding, are why Jackson says he is now running for D.C. Council.

“It’s just really frustrating to see a city struggling with a real crisis that’s causing so much harm, and then also knowing that we have so many solutions that are working across the country. And so I want to bring those ideas, those resources, and that leadership here locally,” said the 40-year-old longtime D.C. resident.

In addition to public safety, Jackson said he wants to address affordability and access to homeownership. “So many people are strained, even those with multiple degrees and higher incomes, compared to the rest of the country,” he lamented. “We have to look at how we attract more businesses to the district, beyond the federal government, to make sure that we have opportunities that are resilient to the twists and turns of Washington.”

But serving in the D.C. government during the second term of President Trump won’t be a walk in the park. Under Trump, the District, which has been fighting for statehood for decades, has seen perhaps its greatest threats to home rule since its charter was established through Congress in 1975. While the federal government exercises oversight, D.C. has largely been allowed to govern itself, led by its Mayor and the D.C. Council.

In August 2025, President Trump declared a federal crime emergency in D.C. and deployed National Guard troops to the streets, in what local leaders said was an unjustified move, given crime data trending downward. The 79-year-old president further threatened to take complete federal control of the city, but the threat was averted through careful cooperation by outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser.

“My work in the Biden administration taught me a lot about the White House, but it also taught me a lot about how the federal government should really be partners with local communities and city leadership. And the Trump administration has been far from that,” said Jackson. “They have cut our budgets. They militarize our streets, and now with ICE there, they’re literally kidnapping our neighbors, and so much harm is being dealt to our communities every single day.”

The D.C. Council candidate said he wants to bring his federal government experience to help protect the rights of D.C.’s 700,000 residents, who are federal taxpayers but lack voting representation in Congress.

“I want to be a part of the solution to…standing up against the federal government that has been very hostile to our neighbors,” he asserted.

While Jackson recognizes the threat the Trump administration may pose to D.C.’s autonomy and its ability to thrive, he also acknowledges that D.C. can’t achieve what it needs to without the support of the federal government. He said elected D.C. leaders must build “real relationships” in Congress on both sides of the political aisle who are willing to “stand with us” and “protect our policies.”

However, he added, “Regardless of where members of Congress or the President stand, they’re part of this community too, and they have a lot at stake too, and so we have to make sure that the ideas and solutions we’re pushing forward are being supported by those who benefit from them.”

Jackson also sees a major opportunity to advance his main goal of reducing gun violence in D.C. through neighboring Governors Wes Moore of Maryland and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

“We have a real opportunity to create a regional strategy that can prevent firearms from flooding into vulnerable communities,” he told theGrio. “And I’m really excited through the relationships I have to build that out and to find partners beyond the boundaries of D.C. to protect communities here.”