Donald Trump has signed an executive order to reinstate the death penalty in Washington DC. Pam Bondi - the U.S. Attorney General - has, for her part, stated that the Justice Department plans to seek capital punishment nationwide, according to CNN.
"I hope they don't," says Trump
"If you kill someone, or if you kill a police officer, a law enforcement officer, you will be sentenced to death. And I hope they don't," the American president told reporters in the Oval Office.
Local opposition as a potential obstacle
The majority of murders in Washington D.C. are handled under local law, although prosecutors can, in theory, seek the death penalty for crimes under federal law. The death penalty, however, can only be applied if the jury approves - a potential obstacle in a city where the majority of residents oppose capital punishment, explains BBC News.
A "very strong" preventive measure, according to Trump
Trump had already declared his intention to introduce the death penalty in the federal capital last month. At the time, he called it a "very strong" preventive measure, reports CNN. "The states will have to make their own decision," the president had added.
The fate of prisoners removed from death row
Bondi also noted that inmates who had been removed from death row by former President Joe Biden will be transferred to maximum-security facilities: "We are transferring them to facilities [.. where they will be treated as if they were on death row for the rest of their lives", she declared.
A capital "overrun with violent gangs," according to Trump
According to Trump, crime is on the rise in the federal capital:
"Our capital is overrun with violent gangs, bloodthirsty criminals, groups of juvenile delinquents, drug-addled maniacs and the homeless. And we're not going to let that happen anymore," he declared in August at a White House press conference.
In contrast to the local crime report
Yet these claims by the president contrast with the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney's Office's local crime report released on January 3:
"The total number of violent crimes for 2024 in the District of Columbia is down 35% from 2023 and is the lowest in more than 30 years," reads the office's release. And, that number is down another 26% since the beginning of the year.