Norton Statement on Trump’s Call for Federal Government Takeover of D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said today that President Trump’s derogatory comments calling for a federal “takeover” of D.C. are anti-democratic, based on misinformation, and belittling to the 700,000 residents of the nation’s capital. Trump’s comments were made prior to an expected executive order related to the District of Columbia.
“We have made significant progress in our historic march toward making D.C. the 51st state, and President Trump’s comments, a continuation of the anti-democratic rhetoric from Republicans concerning the District of Columbia, despite their basis in falsehoods, is evidence of that progress,” Norton said. “These types of remarks are attempts to remove what small measure of democracy the more than 700,000 D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown, have.
“The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. President Trump’s rhetoric runs counter to this history. D.C.’s population is larger than that of two states. D.C. pays more federal taxes per capita than any state and pays more federal taxes than 21 states. D.C.’s gross domestic product is larger than that of 15 states. D.C. residents have fought and died in all this nation’s wars. We deserve statehood.
“I must also note that President Trump claims the D.C. government is ‘not doing the job’ on crime, but the Department of Justice has noted that violent crime was down 35% in 2024 and overall violent crime in D.C. is at a 30-year low.”
Republicans have introduced bills in both chambers of Congress to repeal the Home Rule Act, which aim to abolish the D.C. Council and Mayor’s office, leaving D.C. to depend on members of Congress elected by other jurisdictions to run the District.
The House of Representatives passed the D.C. statehood bill in 2020, the first time in history either chamber of Congress had passed the bill. The House passed it again in 2021. When Norton reintroduced the statehood bill on the first day of this Congress, she did so with 159 original cosponsors, the most original cosponsors of any bill introduced that first day. The bill now has 178 cosponsors. The Senate version, introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), was introduced this Congress with 40 original cosponsors, and now has 41 cosponsors.
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