Violent crime in Washington, D.C. has declined in recent years. Trump announced plans to seek the death penalty for killers in the capital and called it a strong preventative. Trump said the country may not be ready but asserted there is no choice. Trump seized control of D.C.'s police force and deployed the National Guard into the city. The Justice Department announced plans in December to "vigorously pursue the death penalty," and Trump set execution records during his first administration. Capital punishment remains legal in 27 states and at the federal and military levels. Washington, D.C.'s death penalty was nullified in 1972, repealed in 1981, and rejected by residents in a 1992 referendum.
'If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we're going to be seeking the death penalty,' Trump said. 'And that's a very strong preventative.' 'I don't know if we're ready for it in this country, but we have no choice,' he added.
Catch up quick: Trump this month seized control of D.C.'s police force and deployed the National Guard into the city. In December, Trump said his Justice Department would "vigorously pursue the death penalty." He set execution records during his first administration.
State of play: Capital punishment remains legal in 27 states, according to Cornell's Legal Information Institute. The federal government and U.S. military also retain the death penalty. Zoom in: Washington, D.C.'s death penalty was nullified by the Supreme Court in 1972 and repealed by the D.C. Council in 1981. D.C. residents voted 2-1 against the death penalty in a 1992 referendum ordered by Congress.
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