President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration would seek the death penalty for murder convictions in Washington, D.C.
The proposal, delivered during Trump’s seventh Cabinet meeting at the White House, came weeks after the president federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and mobilized hundreds of National Guard troops and other federal law enforcement assets in attempts to tackle crime in the district.
Trump spoke at length about his crime initiatives Tuesday morning, including previewing taking the effort to Chicago once work concludes in Washington, before talking about using the death penalty as a crime deterrent despite the district repealing the measure in the 1980s.
“It’ll be a crime-free city. By the way, speaking of that, anybody murders something in the Capitol —capital punishment. Capital, capital punishment,” the president stated. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C. — we’re going to be seeking the death penalty, and that’s a very strong preventative.”
White House officials did not answer questions about Trump’s proposal.
Trump added he doesn’t know “if we’re ready for it in this country” but that “we have no choice.”
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order directing U.S. policy to “ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented, and to counteract the politicians and judges who subvert the law by obstructing and preventing the execution of capital sentences.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi has recommended the death penalty in 19 cases since she was sworn into office in February, according to PBS.
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You can watch Trump’s comments in full below.
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