The federal government — historically seen as a stabilizing force in the D.C. region — is morphing into a liability as the Trump administration slashes the workforce, office footprint and funding across agencies. 
Arlington County, directly across the river from D.C., has long been home to government tenants and contractors and has relied on them for its economic prosperity. Like the entire region, Arlington is now staring down a threat to that reality. 
“Let’s face it, our regional economic development model is under major disruption right now,” Arlington Economic Development Director Ryan Touhill said Tuesday morning at Bisnow’s Exploring Arlington County’s Next Chapter event.