President Trump Directs the Enforcement of Death Penalty Laws in the District of Columbia

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President DonaldTrump signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Attorney General and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to fully enforce Federal capital punishment laws to deter and punish the most heinous crimes in our Nation’s capital.

The Order directs these Federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in all appropriate cases in the District of Columbia where the evidence and applicable facts justify such a sentence.
It directs the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia to pursue Federal jurisdiction to the maximum extent practicable for death-penalty-eligible crimes in Washington, D.C.

PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY

By enforcing the death penalty law against D.C.’s worst offenders, President Trump underscores his determination to protect our Nation’s capital for all Americans who visit and reside there and ensure violent criminals face the toughest consequences under law.

Enforcing Federal capital punishment—despite efforts by some politicians, lawyers, and non-governmental organizations to oppose it—has been a priority for President Trump, who signed Executive Order 14164 to restore proper enforcement of the federal death penalty on Day One.
Today’s Memorandum builds on this Order, directing the use of capital punishment in our Nation’s capital as a critical tool for protecting public safety, ensuring the worst criminals receive the worst punishment.
The District of Columbia’s lenient policies in recent years has fueled a crime emergency, endangering residents, visitors, and Federal operations.
Washington, D.C. has been among the Nation’s most dangerous cities—with a homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024.
- That was the fourth-highest homicide rate in the country—nearly six times higher than New York City and also higher than Atlanta, Chicago, and Compton.