WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump‘s pursuit of the death penalty in Washington, D.C., extends beyond the nation’s capital, with a broader ambition to seek capital punishment nationwide, according to Barbara Bondi, a former Florida Attorney General advising Trump on criminal justice issues. This strategy signals a potential escalation in federal enforcement under a second Trump administration.
The move comes as Trump has publicly called for the death penalty in cases involving drug traffickers and violent criminals, framing it as a necessary deterrent to rising crime rates. While Washington, D.C., presents unique jurisdictional complexities - its local Superior Court generally prohibits capital punishment – federal prosecutors possess the authority to pursue death penalty-eligible charges in both local and federal courts within the city. Bondi’s statement indicates Trump intends to leverage this authority not only in D.C. but across the United States, possibly challenging states with existing prohibitions or limited application of the death penalty.
Traditionally, the Superior Court of Washington handles the majority of homicide cases and operates under a local code that does not permit the death penalty. However, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia has the capacity to bring federal charges in many cases, opening the door for capital punishment requests – a distinction unique among U.S. jurisdictions.
This federal authority, combined with Trump’s stated desire for broader application of the death penalty, could lead to a meaningful shift in federal sentencing practices. According to CNN reporting, the implementation of such a strategy may encounter resistance from juries within Washington, D.C. itself.
