Trump signs memo ordering the enforcement of the death penalty in D.C. [View all]

Source: Washington Post

D.C.
Trump signs memo ordering the enforcement of the death penalty in D.C.

The president Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro to use federal law to pursue capital punishment cases in the city.

September 25, 2025 at 11:22 p.m. EDT Yesterday at 11:22 p.m. EDT
3 min


President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

By Michael Laris and Jenny Gathright

President Donald Trump instructed top prosecutors in a memo on Thursday to pursue the death penalty "to the maximum degree practicable" in D.C., marking his latest move to exert control over law enforcement in the city.

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By Michael Laris
Michael Laris is a reporter on The Washington Post's local enterprise team. He previously covered national transportation issues and was a reporter in Beijing.follow on X@mikelaris
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/michael-laris/

By Jenny Gathright
Jenny Gathright covers the D.C. government and city politics on The Post's Metro desk. Before coming to The Post in 2024, she reported on the District for WAMU 88.5 and DCist.com, mostly about criminal justice and public safety.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jenny-gathright/

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/09/25/trump-death-penalty-dc/

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https://wtop.com/government/2025/09/as-trump-seeks-death-penalty-in-dc-bondi-says-administration-also-wants-it-across-the-country/

As Trump seeks death penalty in DC, Bondi says administration also wants it across the country

CNN
September 25, 2025, 6:02 PM

(CNN) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum seeking to reinstate the death penalty in Washington, DC, as Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Justice Department will be seeking capital punishment across the country.

“The death penalty in Washington,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “You kill somebody, or if you kill a police officer, law enforcement officer — death penalty. And hopefully they won’t do that.”

“It’s a very interesting capital punishment, capital city. Capital, capital, capital,” he added.

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