Eleven states have active independence movements in response to what they see as an irredeemably corrupt federal government.
Advocacy for state splits, mergers, or complete independence from the United States is going strong, even after President-elect Donald Trump’s win in November and his pledges to restore public trust in the federal government, according to movement leaders.
At least 11 states have active initiatives, including California, Illinois, New York, New Hampshire, Texas, Washington, Minnesota, Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.
In December 2023, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called for a “national divorce” between conservative and liberal states in order to prevent a “constitutional crisis.”
Again in November 2024, Greene called for a cordial split from those Americans who reject the conservative policies of the incoming president.
In February, YouGov surveyed more than 35,000 adults in 46 states and found that about one in four said they would support their state leaving the Union.
Texas had the most support for state independence (31 percent), followed by California (29 percent), which has multiple state secession movements with varying support.
The Greater Idaho project wants to create an enlarged state by adding 15 conservative counties in eastern Oregon. The movement is not seeking to create a separate country.
So far, 13 counties in Oregon have voted to explore moving the border with Idaho. The merger needs approval from both state Legislatures, voters, and Congress.
Greater Idaho leaders believe a Trump presidency could make the project a reality.
“We are very excited for the new administration,” said Greater Idaho Executive Director Matt McCaw.
“Regardless of who won the election, the polarization in our country was going to remain and likely grow,” he told The Epoch Times.
“People across the country are offering up peaceful solutions like ours because they are tired of the political tension and animosity and want real solutions that get people better government.”
McCaw said that more than 70 percent of the counties in Greater Idaho voted for Trump, and the group has requested Trump’s assistance in bringing the project to fruition.
“We believe that President Trump, as an unconventional politician whose focus is on solving problems, is the perfect leader to help ideas like border relocation get considered and implemented,” he said.
“We have seen a large increase of interest locally in our movement, and are excited for the opportunity that the next four years provide.”
On Dec. 31, the state secession movement YesCalifornia, globally recognized as CalExit, suspended operations and dissolved its board, citing a lack of support among voters.
“This decision follows years of reflection on a campaign that ultimately became more of a showcase for personal delusions and ambitions than a serious political effort,” YesCalifornia’s website states.
“Among the leadership, some individuals, while grounded in reality, adopted a ‘fake it until you make it,’ philosophy to sustain the illusion of momentum. After all, politics is perception.
“Thus, in practical terms, and after nine years, we conclude that there is no real base of political support for this effort.”
Free Louisiana started operations in July and has already gained an unnamed “champion in the state Legislature,” according to the organization’s president, Larkin Jackson.
The group wants to create a new independent state or federation of mid-Atlantic states via a referendum.
“We’re still on the same course. I don’t think [Trump’s victory] changed anything. We’re still divided. Nothing really has changed but who is at the top of the federal government,” Jackson told The Epoch Times.
“Louisiana did vote for Trump, and the majority party in both chambers in Congress, so most voters want to give them a chance to do something before embracing our movement,” he said.
Jackson believes that a conservative Republican Trump administration in Washington won’t make a big difference or “drain the swamp.”
“The leadership of our movement fully expects Louisiana to be as disappointed in 2025 as they were in Trump’s first term by the resistance to reform in the federal bureaucracy, judiciary, and members of the uniparty establishment in Congress,” Jackson said.
“We believe that the need for independence will be clear to Louisianans soon.”
Louisiana first left the Union to join the Confederacy on Jan. 26, 1861, three months before the Civil War began.
Jackson said he envisions a peaceful “national divorce” this time.
“We’re in a far different place,” Jackson said. “Independence does not mean civil war. I think that national divorce is the answer to avoid civil war in the future.”
According to a 2022 SurveyUSA poll of 625 Louisiana residents, half favor the state’s peaceful secession from the federal government.
“The idea of Congress splitting the United States into two countries—one country of conservative states, and one country of liberal states—was supported by 55 percent of Louisiana Republicans who expressed an opinion,” according to Red-State Secession, a Christian conservative group in the Midwest.
Jackson said that incidents like the New Year’s truck attack in New Orleans that killed 15 people and injured 35 others show how the government has failed to protect citizens.
Calls for greater local control will only grow as a result.
“I believe this tragic incident will only reinforce the sentiment that Louisiana’s independence is crucial,” Jackson said.
“The federal government has failed us by allowing foreign influences to jeopardize the safety of our communities. Events like these highlight the need for Louisiana to have greater control over its own security and future.”
The nonbinding Illinois Separation Referendum seeks to create a separate state by breaking away from the more progressive Cook County.
“I can’t speak for any other state split efforts, but I don’t think Trump’s election will deflate our efforts in Illinois to form a state separate from Cook County,” Loret Newlin, director and coordinator of the Illinois separation movement, told The Epoch Times, referring to the county in which Chicago sits.
Newlin said the movement started with Trump’s first term. Twenty counties voted in November 2020, when conservatives expected the president to win again.
“Nearly as many people weighed in on our non-binding referendum as they did on the presidential question. Our average approval is continuing to be 74 percent so far,” Newlin said.
“Our movement put six counties on the ballot while Trump was running against Biden and the seventh county was working on it and made it on in August,” she said. “While seven may not seem like much, two were particularly significant.”
Newlin said that one of the counties was about the same size as all the other 26 counties that voted in the 2020 and 2022 elections. The other county was south of Cook.
“We therefore expect that our movement will continue putting the Referendum on the ballot during Trump’s second term,” she said.
Newlin, however, said Illinois voters understand “no president can fix all the problems Illinois has.”
As of right now, the organization is using social media and its website to recruit presenters and petitioners, establish connections with volunteers, and keep moving forward with its efforts.
In Washington, state independence advocates have introduced a bill proposing the breakup of conservative eastern counties and the establishment of a new state named “Liberty.”
Rep. Rob Chase (R-Wash.) and Rep. Bob McCaslin (R-Wash.) introduced HB1239 in January 2021.
If voters and lawmakers agree, the law will take effect right away after Congress agrees in accordance with the U.S. Constitution.
The goal of the East Dakota Secession Movement is to create a new state by incorporating 13 conservative-leaning counties in eastern Minnesota.
The organization states on its website that “maniacal forces” in Minnesota’s government that “trample on our constitutional rights” should be opposed, asserting the “right of the people to revolt.”
NHEXIT Now declared its desire for an independent state that upholds the ideals of “self-determination, liberty, and the preservation of our state’s unique heritage and values” in “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire.
“Through a peaceful, democratic, and lawful pursuit of independence, we aim to empower New Hampshire to govern itself, fostering economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and a vibrant community life,” the organization’s website states.The Texas Nationalist Movement’s president, Dan Miller, stated that a second Trump administration will not impact the organization’s momentum.
“We’re going into this next legislative session from the best position we’ve ever been,” Miller told The Epoch Times.
The movement aims to form a separate state of Texas with an independent economy, military, and government.
Scholars point out that the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution forbids unilateral secession.
However, organizers of state independence movements contend that the concept of states’ rights grants them the right to secede.
Miller said the Texas secession legislation would be politically binding through the will of voters.
“I would hate to be a politician who comes out on the other side of that referendum, and it says yes, and I acted opposite to what the people have said,” Miller said. “It would be political suicide.”
On Dec. 3, the TNM announced that it had expanded its reach with the addition of Burnet and Tyler counties, bringing the total number of counties actively organizing for independence to 53.
There are 254 counties in the state.
“TNM’s expansion into these counties taps into regions with deep Texas roots and strong independent spirits,” according to the TNM website.
“Burnet County, nestled in the Hill Country, brings generations of self-reliant Texians ready to advance the cause of self-governance.
“In Tyler County, the movement connects with East Texas communities that have long understood the importance of local control and Texas values.”
Miller said the organization’s next steps include expanding the movement, garnering the legislative and popular votes, and “securing independence.”
“We’re always working on all four of those things simultaneously,” he said.
Texas formally became a part of the United States on Dec. 29, 1845.
On Feb. 1, 1861, it declared its formal secession from the Union and joined the Confederate States a month later.
In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won the state with 56.3 percent of the vote. Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris got 42.4 percent of the vote.
Miller thinks that most Texans want to be independent and that a lot is riding on the first few months of a second Trump administration.
He said that further support for the movement may depend on whether the incoming president keeps his campaign promises about illegal immigration and political reform.
“What [people] fundamentally didn’t understand is no one here believes that changes in the person that resides at [the White House] are going to fix the federal government,” Miller said.
“If anything, I think a lot of our people feel they’ve had a bit of a reprieve—some time to work on this issue.”
The Epoch Times reached out to the office of President-elect Trump for comment but did not hear back by publication time.