🧵 1/ If the residents of DC want to be part of a state, the solution is not DC statehood Any solution should…

17 tweets2 min read♥ 37.4Koriginal

Summary

Rather than making DC a state, the author argues DC residents should gain representation through retrocession—returning most of DC to Maryland while keeping a small federal corridor around the White House, Capitol, and Supreme Court. This approach honors the Founders' intention to keep the capital neutral and follows the historical precedent of Virginia's retrocession in 1846.

Summarized by ThreadOut AI from the full thread. May miss nuance — read the thread below.

#1
🧵 1/ If the residents of DC want to be part of a state, the solution is *not* DC statehood Any solution should involve reverting land ceded by Maryland for the creation of DC—excepting only a narrow corridor encompassing the White House, Capitol, & Supreme Court—to Maryland
Elon Musk@elonmusk · Aug 6, 2025
@BasedMikeLee Good thread
#2
2/ Let’s start with some historical context DC was established by Congress under the Residence Act of 1790, allowing President George Washington to select a site for the federal capital along the Potomac River, not exceeding 10 miles square (100 square miles)
#3
3/ Land was ceded by both Maryland (about 69 square miles) and Virginia (about 31 square miles) to form this diamond-shaped district that we now call DC
#4
4/ The cessions were formalized; Virginia transferred its portion in 1790, and Maryland followed in 1791 This included areas like Georgetown (from MD) and Alexandria (from VA)
#5
5/ By the 1840s, many residents in the Virginia portion of DC felt neglected by Congress, faced economic stagnation, and believed slavery would soon be abolished in DC
#6
6/ In 1846, Congress passed legislation retroceding the Virginia portion—now Arlington County and the City of Alexandria—back to Virginia President James K. Polk signed it into law
#7
7/ That law reduced DC from 100 square miles to about 68, establishing retrocession as a viable, constitutional path Virginia’s land was returned without issue, and it thrives today as part of Virginia, not DC
#8
8/ In spite of that precedent, some argue that DC should now become a state But DC alone (rather than as part of Maryland) doesn’t meet the criteria we’ve historically applied to statehood Although the Constitution doesn’t specify minimum population or geographic size, our states have been admitted as territories with balanced economies—agriculture, industry, and diverse resources We have *never* admitted a state that consists of just a single, geographically compact, urban enclave—whether heavily dependent on the federal government (as DC is) or otherwise
#9
9/ DC lacks anything close to the industries, natural resources, opportunities for growth, and amenities found in literally every other state It’s just a city—one city—and therefore can’t be accorded the status of a sovereign state using the time-honored criteria
#10
10/ More importantly, the Founders quite intentionally created DC as a *neutral* federal district to serve as the seat of the U.S. government under Article I, Section 8 They did so specifically to prevent any one state from wielding undue influence over the national government
#11
11/ Making DC a state would subject the seat of the U.S. government to a state, entangling the capital city in that state’s politics It’s not about partisanship—it's about preserving the constitutional design and preventing our nation’s capital from becoming subject to one state
#12
12/ To give DC residents representation in Congress, we could instead follow the Virginia precedent: Retrocede most of DC to Maryland, excepting a small corridor—just a few blocks stretching from the White House to the Capitol and the Supreme Court
#13
13/ This small federal enclave would remain under congressional control—allowing the centers of power in Washington to remain under exclusively federal control—while the rest of DC’s residents would gain full voting rights and representation as Marylanders
#14
14/ This solution would give DC residents what they deserve—state-level representation—without upending the Constitution or creating an anomalous micro-state This approach would be practical, historical, and fair
#15
15/ Maryland ceded the land that’s now DC at the dawn of our constitutional republic; it can absorb it back again, just as Virginia absorbed its previously ceded territory in the 1940s
#16
16/ Let’s prioritize the Founders’ vision over political power grabs DC should either remain a federal district or revert back to Maryland—but it’s not a state, and shouldn’t be considered for statehood (unless it’s to be part of Maryland again) What do you think?
#17
17/ Please share this thread if you agree, and follow if you’d like to see more posts like this one

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🧵 1/ If the residents of DC want to be part of a state, the solution is *not* DC statehood Any solution should…

Summary

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