Overview

• President Trump declared that prosecutors will pursue death sentences in Washington murder cases, calling the policy a very strong preventive measure.
• He framed the stance as part of a broader public‑safety push, pairing it with recent National Guard deployments he says have made the city safer.
• Applying capital punishment in the District remains uncertain because D.C. ended the death penalty in 1981 and federal death sentences require specific charges and unanimous juries.
• Trump previously directed the attorney general on January 20 to actively consider death‑penalty prosecutions where legally possible, marking a sharp shift from the prior administration.
• The United States last carried out an execution in Washington in 1957, and voters decisively rejected restoring capital punishment in a 2002 referendum.