As Donald Trump prepares for his second term in office, officials in Washington, D.C. are fearful of losing their limited self-governance that they have worked hard to achieve over the years. Trump has expressed his desire to “take over” the city, which he has criticized as being filthy and crime-ridden. The city, which lacks statehood protections, could see its autonomy stripped away by a Republican-controlled Congress and Trump. Trump has stated his plans to revitalize federal buildings and land holdings in the city, but also has intentions to issue more vouchers for private schools, override laws such as physician-assisted suicide, and relocate federal agencies outside of Washington. The city’s reproductive rights groups worry that abortion rights could be targeted since the Supreme Court’s protections may no longer apply under a Republican trifecta. Washington has its own elected government only since the 1970s, and Congress can repeal that by passing a new home rule act. The city also fears that a financial oversight board similar to the one created in the 1990s could be reinstated by Trump and congressional Republicans. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton is particularly concerned with the possibility of Trump federalizing the city’s police force for his own purposes, as he considered doing during his first term. City officials are bracing themselves for a potential assault on their autonomy, while trying to find common ground with the incoming Trump administration to protect their values and ensure the well-being of their residents.
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