Trump announces intention to pursue the death penalty for individuals convicted of homicide in Washington, DC

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that all murder cases in Washington, D.C., should be prosecuted as capital punishment cases.

“Anybody murders someone in the capital, capital punishment … If somebody kills somebody in Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

He added: “I don’t know if we’re ready for it in this country, but we have no choice. So in D.C., in Washington — states will make their own decisions — but if somebody kills somebody … it’s the death penalty, okay?”

Washington does not currently allow executions; the D.C. City Council abolished the death penalty decades ago.