Trump to seek death penalty for murders in US capital
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US President Donald Trump said the death penalty move was part of a crackdown on what he called out-of-control crime in the city.
PHOTO: AFP
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- Trump seeks the death penalty for murders in Washington D.C., citing a need to combat "out-of-control crime" in the US capital.
- Washington D.C. abolished the death penalty in 1981, but as it's not a state, Trump aims to use a federal loophole.
- Trump is considering similar interventions, including National Guard deployment, in other Democrat-run cities like Chicago and New York.
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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said on Aug 26 he would seek the death penalty for murders in Washington as part of a crackdown on what he calls out-of-control crime in the US capital.
“If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington DC, we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Mr Trump said, during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
“It’s a very strong preventative, and everybody that’s heard it agrees with it,” Mr Trump said.
The death penalty move comes after Republican Mr Trump deployed the National Guard to Democrat-run Washington
Washington – formally known as the District of Columbia – abolished the death penalty in 1981.
The US capital has a unique legal status as it is not a state and operates under a relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters.
Mr Trump used this loophole to send the National Guard into Washington earlier in August to combat what he said was runaway crime and homelessness.
On Aug 25, he boasted of a days-long streak without murders in the city and said he was also taking steps to beautify the capital, which is home to the White House, the US Capitol and other key institutions.
National Guard troops began carrying weapons
Mr Trump says he is considering similar moves for other Democrat-run cities, including Chicago, New York and Baltimore. AFP
National Guard members on duty in Washington, DC, on Aug 26.
PHOTO: EPA
