Trump spoke at length about his crime initiatives Tuesday morning, including previewing taking the effort to Chicago once work concludes in Washington, before talking about using the death penalty as a crime deterrent despite the district repealing the measure in the 1980s.<\/p>\n

“It’ll be a crime-free city. By the way, speaking of that, anybody murders something in the Capitol —capital punishment. Capital, capital punishment,” the president stated<\/a>. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C. — we’re going to be seeking the death penalty, and that’s a very strong preventative.”<\/p>\n

White House officials did not answer questions about Trump’s proposal.<\/p>\n

Trump added he doesn’t know “if we’re ready for it in this country” but that “we have no choice.”<\/p>\n

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order directing<\/a> U.S. policy to “ensure that the laws that authorize capital punishment are respected and faithfully implemented, and to counteract the politicians and judges who subvert the law by obstructing and preventing the execution of capital sentences.”<\/p>\n

Attorney General Pam Bondi has recommended the death penalty in 19 cases since she was sworn into office in February, according to PBS.<\/p>\n

TRUMP SAYS HE KNOWS ‘NOTHING’ ABOUT FBI RAID ON JOHN BOLTON’S HOME<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

You can watch Trump’s comments in full below.<\/p>\n