President Donald Trump said on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting that he would like to see the death penalty used for those convicted of murder in Washington, D.C, facetiously calling for “capital” punishment in the nation’s epicenter of government.
“If somebody kills somebody in the capital – Washington, D.C., – we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” he said. “And that’s a very strong preventative. And everybody that’s heard it, agrees with it.”
The president’s comments come amid a federal takeover of D.C. that has significantly cracked down on crime. During a Monday event in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that law enforcement so far had removed 439 criminal illegal aliens from D.C.
He also stated that 49 homeless encampments in the city had been cleared.
Since Trump announced the federal takeover of D.C. a little over two weeks ago, there has been a sizable drop in crimes like robberies, carjackings, and violent crime, according to statistics from the D.C. Police Union.
“While federal assistance gives us a boost, we must repeal the misguided Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Act in order to make these changes permanent,” the union stated on X.
As far as seeking the death penalty for convicted murderers, President Trump noted that the country may not be “ready for it” as a whole, and acknowledged that individual states may choose to seek the death penalty for murderers only if they so desire.
But as far as Washington, D.C., goes, he added, “It’s the death penalty.”
Currently, 23 states do not have a death penalty, while 27 do. However, the U.S. government and the U.S. military retain the death penalty, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Interestingly, the District of Columbia – where President Trump would like to see the death penalty sought for crimes of murder – abolished capital punishment in 1981.
Additionally, this is not the first time President Trump has called for the use of the death penalty. In 2023, he introduced the concept of capital punishment as a means to prosecute serious crimes within his Agenda47 policy platform. At that time, he called for the death penalty for those convicted of human trafficking and child trafficking.