US President Donald Trump has said that federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for individuals convicted of committing murder in the nation’s capital.
The announcement came on Tuesday after Trump declared a "crime emergency" in Washington, DC, taking control of the city’s police force and deploying federal agents and troops onto the streets.
"If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, DC, we're going to be seeking the death penalty," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
"It's a very strong preventative and everybody that's heard it agrees with it. I don't know if we're ready for it in this country, but we have it."
The death penalty has been cancelled in Washington since 1972, when the Supreme Court nullified it, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
It was further rejected overwhelmingly by voters in 1992 when two-thirds opposed reinstating it in a referendum ordered by Congress.
That vote came during a period of spiralling crime when Washington had the highest murder rate in the country.
Declined sharply
Crime in the city has since declined sharply.
Homicides are down 15 percent compared to the same point last year, with 102 recorded so far in 2025, according to official statistics.
The figure is also well below the 20-year high of 274 homicides reached in 2023.
Still, the Trump administration has sought to cast doubt on crime data from several US cities, including Washington and Baltimore, alleging official cover-ups without presenting evidence.
Trump has pointed to a 13-day streak without an officially recorded murder in the capital, calling it unprecedented. But city records show a 16-day streak earlier this year, from February into March.
The president’s move to reintroduce capital punishment in Washington is expected to face strong legal challenges, as well as political pushback from local leaders who have long opposed the death penalty.
