Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the pressure on Washington, D.C., a Democratic stronghold, has been mounting. During the first Trump administration, the city faced strong pushback, including pressure to remove the Black Lives Matter Plaza, a prominent symbol of the movement in front of the White House. Federal aid cuts were even used as a weapon to encourage compliance. In this charged political environment, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) recently suggested, “In order to escape the ravages of the Trump administration, let’s annex D.C. to Maryland.” While the proposal may seem like an impossible joke, it is not the first time Raskin has raised the idea.
Washington, D.C. was created in 1790 when land was transferred from Virginia and Maryland to establish a federal district. The U.S. capital moved from Philadelphia to D.C. in 1800. Since its establishment, there have been various proposals to include the district in neighbouring Maryland for administrative convenience. In fact, a bill was proposed as early as 1803, but none of these efforts have succeeded.
While Raskin’s proposal garners attention, D.C. residents have been pushing for a different solution. Instead of being annexed by Maryland, they are advocating for statehood, which would provide them with full representation in Congress. According to the D.C. mayor’s office, 86% of residents supported statehood in a 2016 referendum. Residents expressed a clear desire to advance their rights as citizens, stating, “We do not want to go backwards. Our clear goal is to become a state.”
Tensions have further escalated with recent legislative actions. Last weekend, Republican members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill that would treat Washington, D.C. like a federal agency, slashing its funding to the 2024 level. If passed, this bill would cut approximately $1 billion in funding to the D.C. government over the next six months. This move has heightened the demand among D.C. residents for federal representation, as they continue to fight for greater political autonomy and recognition.