Mayor calls for DC to become 51st state after Trump’s National Guard crackdown
Mayor says US capital should become 51st state amid Trump takeover
- DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has revived calls for the District of Columbia to become America's 51st state.
- This follows Donald Trump's move to federalise Washington's police force, which he justified as necessary to combat crime.
- Mayor Bowser countered that official statistics show a significant decline in violent crime in DC, with last year recording the lowest levels in 30 years, making the National Guard's deployment unnecessary.
- She argued that DC's lack of voting representation in Congress and its direct federal control demonstrate why statehood is crucial for the city's independence.
- Bowser urged residents to protect the city's autonomy and home rule, advocating for the election of a Democratic House to provide a "backstop" against what she termed an "authoritarian push".