WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty for individuals convicted of committing murder in the nation's capital.

The president made the announcement after he took control of the police force in Washington, DC, and deployed federal agents and troops to the city's streets after declaring a "crime emergency" in the capital.

"If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, DC, we're going to be seeking the death penalty," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House. "It's a very strong preventative and everybody that's heard it agrees with it. I don't know if we're ready for it in this country, but we have it."

The death penalty has been defunct in Washington, DC since 1972, when the Supreme Court nullified it, according to the Death Penalty Information Center non-profit. It was further rejected overwhelmingly by the capital's voters during a 1992 referendum ordered by Congress in which two out of every three voters rejected it.

The vote took place amid spiraling crime when the nation's capital had the highest murder rate in the country.

Things have changed dramatically in the intervening 33 years, however. Official crime statistics show homicides down 15% from the same point in 2024, with 102 recorded so far this year. Homicides are also sharply down from a 20-year high of 274 that was reached in 2023.

The president and his political allies have sought to discount official crime data in multiple cities, claiming they do not accurately reflect the extent of criminal activities, including in Washington, DC and Baltimore, where they allege official cover-ups. Trump officials have yet to present evidence to substantiate the allegations.

In Washington, the president has sought to claim credit for a now 13-day streak in which there were no officially recorded murders, claiming it is unprecedented. But the city recorded a 16-day streak running from February through March.