Donald Trump announced his plan to reinstate capital punishment in Washington, D.C., during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, outlining his strategy for cracking down on crime in the nation’s capital.
“It’ll be a crime-free city,” Trump declared. “By the way, speaking of that, anybody murders something in the capital, capital punishment — capital capital punishment.”
Trump further explained, “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. And everybody that’s heard it agrees with it.”
Capital punishment is rarely applied at the federal level. In fact, former President Joe Biden commuted the federal death sentences of 37 men just before leaving office in December 2020. Only three prisoners remain on federal death row.
Since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988, following the 1972 ruling that declared it unconstitutional, only 16 federal executions have been carried out, all by lethal injection. Thirteen of these executions occurred during a six-month period from July 2020 to January 2021.
The death penalty at the federal level has been a contentious issue, particularly in jurisdictions like D.C., where capital punishment was abolished. There have been concerns about federal overreach and the application of the death penalty in these areas.
On August 11, Trump also announced plans to deploy troops from the D.C. National Guard and federalize the Metropolitan Police Department in an effort to address rising crime in Washington.
Since then, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro reported that there have been 1,000 arrests, and as of Monday, the capital has experienced 12 consecutive days without a homicide.
Although Trump has previously announced similar plans to federalize other cities, including Chicago and New York, he has yet to follow through with these proposals. These cities, like Washington, D.C., are considered strongholds for the Democratic Party, raising questions about the administration’s approach to crime and federal intervention.
Trump’s proposal to reinstate capital punishment in D.C. has reignited debates over the federal death penalty, particularly in areas where it has been abolished, and concerns over federal jurisdiction.