Capital Punishment for Murders Committed In the Nation's Capitol: Trump Moves to Reinstate the Death Penalty in DC
By Mona Austin
(TSN): In his seventh cabinet meeting this year, on Tuesday Pres. Donald Trump announced his plan to reinstate the death penalty. This is the latest action in the Trump Administration's ongoing crime crackdown for public safety.
The president declared, “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty.” He emphasized it as a “very strong preventative” and repeated the phrase “capital, capital punishment”.
The order states the intent is to use capital punishment to the full extent of the law where applicable, "to the maximum extent practicable for death-penalty-eligible crimes."
D.C. repealed the death penalty 40 years ago in 1981, and a 1992 referendum showed overwhelming public opposition to reinstating it.
Most murder cases in D.C. are prosecuted under local law, which doesn’t allow capital punishment.
Trump’s push would rely on federal prosecutor bringing capital charges, which must be approved by the Attorney General.
He had called for the reinstatement of the death penalty on Truth Social back in December.
The decision extends his effort to federalize all of Washington.