U.S. President Donald Trump has said he intends to bring back capital punishment in Washington, D.C., as part of his broader plan to curb rising crime in the nation’s capital.
Speaking at a recent event, Trump declared: “It’ll be a crime-free city. If somebody commits murder in the capital, we’re going to be seeking the death penalty. It’s a strong preventative measure, and everyone who has heard it agrees with it.”
This proposal comes decades after the District of Columbia abolished the death penalty in 1981, following a D.C. Council vote. The last execution in Washington took place in 1957. A 1992 referendum also showed that the majority of D.C. residents opposed reinstating capital punishment.
Federal vs. Local Law
Although D.C. abolished its own death penalty, the federal government has always retained the ability to seek capital punishment for federal crimes committed within the district. The federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988 and expanded significantly under the 1994 Federal Death Penalty Act. Currently, more than 60 offenses can carry a federal death sentence.
However, executions at the federal level remain rare. Only 16 have been carried out in modern times, with 13 of them happening between July 2020 and January 2021. Before leaving office, President Joe Biden commuted 37 federal death sentences, leaving just three prisoners on death row.
Critics argue that Trump’s plan could create legal and political tension, since capital punishment remains abolished at the local level in Washington, D.C. They warn that such a move may raise concerns of federal overreach.
Trump’s Broader Crime Strategy
On August 11, Trump also announced plans to deploy the D.C. National Guard and federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. According to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the initiative has already led to 1,000 arrests and 12 consecutive days without a homicide.
Trump has floated similar proposals for other major cities such as Chicago and New York, both of which are Democratic strongholds, though these plans have not yet materialized.
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