Trump orders federal prosecutors to seek death penalty in Washington, D.C.

By The Inspirer

• Move reignites global debate as Rwanda continues to uphold abolition of capital punishment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a directive instructing federal prosecutors to pursue the death penalty in Washington, D.C., a move that challenges the city’s long-standing abolition of capital punishment and contrasts with global trends toward ending the practice.

In a memorandum signed Thursday, Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro to assert federal jurisdiction over crimes in the capital that qualify for capital punishment under federal law.

The order calls on prosecutors to seek the death penalty “to the maximum degree practicable.”

The D.C. Council abolished capital punishment in 1981, and voters rejected efforts to reinstate it in a 1992 referendum. Trump’s directive could therefore create tensions between federal authorities and local laws.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump defended his decision as part of a broader effort to curb violent crime in the capital, referencing his deployment of federal law enforcement and National Guard troops.

“Washington is a very safe city right now, and it will stay that way through full application of the death penalty,” he said.

“People come from across the country to visit our monuments. We cannot allow violence here. If it happens, the death penalty will apply.”

Bondi, standing beside the former president, said the administration was seeking to expand capital punishment nationwide.

“Not only are we seeking it in Washington, D.C., but all over the country again,” she said.

Currently, 27 U.S. states, the federal government, and the U.S. military still allow the death penalty, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The move stands in contrast to policies in countries like Rwanda, which abolished the death penalty in 2007, citing the importance of reconciliation, human rights, and restorative justice in the post-genocide era.

Since then, Rwanda has become a vocal advocate for abolition across Africa, urging justice systems to focus on rehabilitation rather than retribution.

While Trump argues that the death penalty deters crime, critics say such measures risk deepening inequality in the justice system and go against the global shift toward humane justice.

The United Nations has consistently called for a worldwide moratorium, emphasizing that capital punishment has not been proven to reduce crime rates.

Trump’s directive is expected to reignite debate in the U.S. over the morality, effectiveness, and fairness of the death penalty—at a time when many nations, including Rwanda, have moved decisively away from the practice.