Maryland will not receive the D.C. Air National Guard’s F-16 fighter jets, ending a long-fought campaign by state leaders to preserve a flying mission for the Maryland Air National Guard, a White House official confirmed Friday, The Washington Post reported.

The White House has scrapped plans to relocate the D.C. Air National Guard’s elite F-16 fighter jet squadron to Maryland, dashing hopes that the state would secure a new flying mission tied to a high-stakes political deal involving Washington’s RFK Stadium.

“The F-16s will stay with the DC ANG,” a White House official said in a statement to The Washington Post. “The Trump Administration will continue to prioritize readiness and Warfighting to achieve Peace through Strength for the United States.”

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