President Donald Trump is proposing a cut to anti-terrorism funds being used to protect regions of the country that are among the biggest targets of international terrorism, including Washington, D.C.

The Homeland Security Grants program was created after the September 11, 2001, attacks to help states in the fight against terrorism. It is these funds that Trump is targeting.

Reuters reported on Thursday that 12 states led by Democratic officials are suing to block the cuts. Notices sent out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicate that the biggest cuts are coming for D.C. (70 percent), Illinois (69 percent), California (31 percent), and New Jersey (49 percent).

The administration also initially attempted to cut 77 percent of New York’s funding under the program—which is to say, the state most directly affected by the 9/11 attacks—but Trump reversed his decision after the states filed suit.

By contrast, states that Trump won in the 2024 election—such as Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Ohio—are slated to receive additional funding. Trump has often used the spending power of the federal government to target states led by Democrats, and he has increased this practice after Republicans shut down the federal government.

Washington is among the most obvious targets for international terrorism in the world. It is the seat of the U.S. government and the home to many federal agencies.

The city was targeted by al-Qaida on 9/11, when the group attacked the Pentagon and killed 184 people. United Airlines Flight 93 was also suspected to have been hijacked with the intent of crashing it into the U.S. Capitol building. The plan was averted by the passengers onboard, who stormed the cockpit. Instead of hitting its target, the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In addition to the proposed cuts, Trump has already made D.C. more vulnerable by ordering FBI agents tasked with anti-terrorism to instead focus on his pet issue, immigration. Harassing migrants, their families, and neighborhoods are a higher priority for the Trump administration than protecting the nation’s capital.

Similarly, other crime priorities, like investigating child predators and drug traffickers, have been put on the backburner in favor of devoting resources to anti-immigration operations.

The administration seems dead set on vindictively targeting blue states, even if it opens the nation up to more terrorist attacks.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos