Trump Announces Intention to Reinstate Death Penalty in Washington Despite Abolishment Since 1981
In a press conference on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared his intention to activate the death penalty for murderers in the capital, Washington D.C., despite the law having been abolished there since 1981.
During a Cabinet meeting broadcast by American media, Trump stated, “We will seek the death penalty if someone murders in Washington; this is a very effective deterrent,” adding, “I don’t know if our country is ready for that, but we have no other choice.”
This decision comes amid escalating debates surrounding security in the U.S. capital, where Trump has intensified security measures since returning to the White House in January, including an executive order expanding the application of the death penalty to “the most heinous crimes” and directing federal prosecutors to pursue it more aggressively.
Washington had previously discussed reinstating the death penalty in 1992 following the murder of a congressional aide, but a public referendum rejected the reinstatement by a significant majority.
In his efforts to “restore security” to the capital, Trump announced on August 11 the deployment of National Guard troops, the declaration of a state of emergency, and placing local police under federal authority, claiming that crime had “gone out of control.”
