President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed the push to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state, calling the idea “ridiculous” and “unacceptable.” He said Democrats support statehood only because they win about 95% of the vote in the city and would gain two additional senators, adding, “It’s not going to happen.” Trump’s comments follow his decision on Aug. 11 to invoke Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, allowing the federal government to assume control of the Metropolitan Police Department for up to two days without congressional approval. He also ordered National Guard troops into the capital, saying the move is needed to combat violent crime and improve public safety. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who renewed her long-running call for statehood after the police takeover, argues that the episode shows why the city’s 700,000 tax-paying residents deserve full representation in Congress. She notes violent crime is down 26% from a year earlier and warns that federal control could erode community trust. Trump countered that fixing the city’s infrastructure and public spaces is a higher priority than changing its constitutional status, describing the capital’s current condition as “embarrassing.” His insistence that statehood is off the table signals a likely roadblock for any legislation emerging from a Democratic-led Congress.