Hours after election night, we met with DC leaders to discuss our community’s response to a Trump White House. Less than 12 days later, we launched our student-led campaign to protect DC’s autonomy and resist Project 2025!

Less than 12 days after election day, the Task Force for Democracy—in coalition with national allies and our campus partners at American University—hosted a gathering of students and democracy advocates to outline the path forward to protecting Democracy in 2025.

Over 100 students from across DC registered for the event to hear from voting rights leaders from the Task Force, the

Critical to that path is preventing the next administration from dismantling Washington, D.C.’s autonomy from the federal government. Dismantling DC’s autonomy would allow the federal government unprecedented latitude to repress dissent in our nation’s capital and turn the District into a Project 2025 proving ground.

Trump has already pledged to take over aspects of DC’s governance, including federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), deploying troops in the District, and seizing control of DC’s education system.