President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington, D.C. will not become the 51st state, calling the idea “ridiculous” and “unacceptable.” Speaking to reporters at the Kennedy Center, the president argued that Democrats support statehood only to gain two additional Senate seats, adding, “It’s not going to happen.” Trump’s remarks come two days after he declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital, invoked Section 740 of the District’s Home Rule Act, placed the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and ordered National Guard troops onto city streets. The White House has labeled the crackdown “Liberation Day,” with the president pledging to make Washington “the greatest, most beautiful, safest capital anywhere in the world.” The federal intervention reignited a long-running debate over the District’s status. Mayor Muriel Bowser renewed her push for statehood, noting that about 700,000 tax-paying residents lack full congressional representation. Republican Sen. Mike Lee countered with a proposal to return most of the District’s land to Maryland, saying retrocession would provide residents with state-level representation without creating a new state. Congress, which retains ultimate authority over the capital, has not scheduled votes on either plan.