Trump asks for the federal death penalty for DC murders despite the local ban

President Donald Trump wants to bring back the death penalty to Washington for people who are guilty of murder in the midst of his repression of the crime in the district – even if the capital has been prohibited for decades.

While Washington, the DC Superior Court which manages local trial issues is prohibited to use the death penalty, and any change at this level would probably require intervention by the Municipal Council of DC or Congress, the death penalty is legal at the federal level.

Consequently, Trump would seek to capitalize on the capital punishment in Washington for people found guilty of federal crimes, according to Matthew Cavedon, director of the Criminal Justice project at the CATO Institute.

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The courthouse of E. Barrett Prettle US in Washington, DC, August 5, 2023. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)

“What would happen is that, on major crimes, the United States Ministry of Justice would continue these cases through the United States prosecutor’s office,” said Cavédon. “And this is the new American lawyer, Jeane Pirro. These cases would be brought to the American district court … rather than the DC Superior Court and the DC interior court system.”

Trump established his plans to relaunch the death penalty in Washington at a meeting of the August cabinet while discussing efforts to reduce crime in the national capital. Trump has sent hundreds of Troops from the DC National Guard to fight crime to Washington, which has resulted in more than 1,600 arrests since August 11.

“If someone kills someone in the capital, Washington, DC, we are going to ask the death penalty,” Trump told journalists at a meeting of the August cabinet. “And it is a very strong preventive. And all those who heard it agree. I do not know if we are ready for that in this country, but we have it. … We have no choice.”

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President Donald Trump attended a meeting of the cabinet on August 26, 2025. (Getty Images)

The White House referred to Fox News Digital to Trump’s comments at the office of the cabinet.

Trump has long expressed his support for the death penalty and published a decree in January entitled “Restoring the death penalty and protecting public security”. The order calls on the Attorney General to “continue the death penalty for all severity crimes requiring its use”.

“Capital penalty is an essential tool to dissuade and punish those who would commit the most odious crimes and acts of deadly violence against American citizens,” said the order. “Before, during and after the United States Foundation, our cities, states and countries have continuously relied on capital punishment such as ultimate deterrence and the only appropriate punishment for the most vile crimes.”

This decree, associated with Trump’s statements on the issue, shows that he will ask federal prosecutors to ask for the death penalty in cases of DC murder, said Cavédon.

The DC Council officially canceled the death penalty in 1981 and voters from the country’s capital rejected the death penalty during a 1992 referendum, according to the non -profit organization The Death Penalty Information Center. There has been no execution in Washington since 1957.

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People stand out of the governor’s mansion during a prayer vigil against the death penalty at Oklahoma City on November 30, 2023. (Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman / USA Today Network)

Twenty-seven states still authorize the death penalty, while 23 states have no capital pain. Four states – California, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Oregon – have a grip on executions in their state, by order of the governors of their respective state.

Trump’s pressure to revitalize the death penalty could push these states to eradicate it to the state level, said Cavédon.

“Something like the president calling a lot, many executions could be enough to tip things and make places like California only do the death penalty on the side of the state,” said Cavédon.

Meanwhile, Trump’s efforts are not necessary, because crime is down of Washington and studies systematically show that the murder rate is lower in states without the death penalty, according to Cliff Sloan, which teaches constitutional law and the sentence of the death penalty to Georgetown Law.

“This is not necessary because the DC homicide rate has decreased and, more fundamentally, because there is absolutely no correlation between the death penalty and a reduction in homicides,” said Sloan in an email at Fox News Digital. “States that have removed the death penalty have not seen any increase in homicides. States that actively impose the death penalty, on the other hand, have very high homicide rates.”

Although the majority of Americans – 53% – to always come back to the death penalty, public support is down and has reached a hollow of five decades, according to a Gallup poll published in November.