US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would ask Congress to tighten federal crime laws as part of a sweeping crackdown on violent crime in Washington, D.C., and other major US cities.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Trump announced that the US capital’s police department would be placed under federal control and that 800 National Guard troops would be deployed to the city. He urged Congress to end reforms in cities such as Chicago and New York that allow some defendants to be released ahead of trial without posting cash bail.
“Every place in the country where you have no-cash bail is a disaster,” Trump said, calling on Republicans to push the legislation through the narrowly divided Senate and House.
The president said the Justice Department would draft the bill, though it remains unclear how the federal government could override no-cash bail policies, which are typically set at the state level.
Jeanine Pirro, the top federal prosecutor in Washington, backed Trump’s proposal and argued for harsher treatment of juvenile offenders.
“I can’t arrest them. I can’t prosecute them. They go to family court and they get to do yoga, and arts and crafts. Enough. It changes today,” Pirro said.
Bail reform advocates have argued that cash bond systems unfairly punish low-income defendants and disproportionately affect minorities. A study by the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice at New York University found no evidence linking no-cash bail policies to higher crime rates, contradicting claims by many conservatives.
Trump’s comments appeared to surprise some Republicans in Congress. While House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the president’s crackdown on Washington, he did not directly address the proposed legislation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office was not immediately available for comment.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer pledged to move forward with a bill aimed at “protecting Americans in their capital city.” According to a Republican committee spokesperson, the proposed legislation would also allow 18-year-olds and older in Washington to be tried as adults and prevent youth offenders from receiving sentences below mandatory minimums.
