United States

‘New 51st state’: Huge sign that America is in ‘crisis’

Author: Editors Desk, Jamie Seidel Source: News Corp Australia Network:

March 2, 2025 at 20:49

Washington DC House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene (second from left) has called for a ‘national divorce’. Picture: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/AFP

Just weeks into Donald Trump’s presidency, a bizarre and unsettling trend is taking over the United States.

Intense political polarisation is pushing yet another American state towards secession.

This time, rural and regional counties in Illinois want to dump their urban cousins.

It’s part of a movement sweeping across the United States.

Democrat and Republican communities no longer want to have anything to do with each other.

Their differences, they insist, are irreconcilable.

Washington DC House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene’s call for a “national divorce” has former partners headed to court.

She wants a New United States divided into red (Republican) and blue (Democrat) districts under a dramatically weakened federal government.

“Everyone I talk to says this,” Ms Greene said in 2023.

“From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrats’ traitorous America Last policies, we are done.”

Indiana has moved to turn words into action.

The state legislature has voted 69-25 to embrace any neighbouring Illinois county that wants to switch allegiance.

But it may not be an easy win for Republican-dominated Indiana.

The 33 Prairie State Republican counties that have voted to secede want to create a new, independent 51st state – not simply to hand control to yet another group of townies.

Even Republican stronghold Indiana may not be Republican enough for them.

“Our biggest grievance is that we are not represented,” says Gina Merrit, chairwoman of the secessionist New Illinois movement.

“We don’t have government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our governor accuses us of wanting to kick Chicago out of Illinois. Not so. We want to kick ourselves out of Illinois.”

The state legislature has voted 69-25 to embrace any neighbouring Illinois county that wants to switch allegiance. Picture: Google Maps

Union of discontent

At the heart of the crisis is the dominance held by a single city over the Illinois state government.

Illinois has a population of about 13 million. Half of these live in the greater Chicago area.

The city and its suburbs also represent the State’s most significant single grouping of electoral districts. These tend to elect Democrat representatives. Illinois rural electorates are resolutely Republican.