Trump signs memorandum to seek the death penalty in all eligible D.C. murder cases

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum that directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. Jeanine Pirro to seek the death penalty in all eligible D.C. murder cases. 

Trump recently pushed for a return of the death penalty in the capital last month, after a man was fatally shot there, arguing such a punishment was a "very strong preventative."

The president has made restoring the death penalty in D.C. a top administration for his administration.

"Capital punishment is an essential part of how our justice system deters and punishes the most reprehensible crimes that often involve grotesque and lethal violence against innocent Americans," Trump wrote in the memorandum. 

"My Administration has undertaken numerous successful actions to address the [crime] emergency ... and to protect public safety, as a result of which crime in the District of Columbia has fallen dramatically in recent weeks," he continued. "Faithful implementation of the capital punishment laws will be part of this continuing work."

Trump told his Cabinet last month that other states can make their own decisions about whether to seek the death penalty for murders, but capital punishment is still legal in 27 states, according to Axios. 

Pirro said in July that the Justice Department is considering seeking the death penalty for the man who allegedly killed two Israeli staffers outside a Jewish building in D.C. earlier this year.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.