Trump seeks death penalty in D.C. criminal cases

The big picture: Trump wants to bring back the federal death penalty across the country.

• One of his first executive orders was called "Restoring the death penalty and protecting public safety," reversing former President Biden's moratorium on executions.

Driving the news: Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro Thursday to pursue federal charges "to the maximum extent practicable for death-penalty-eligible crimes in Washington, D.C.," per a White House summary of the order.

• In an Oval Office signing, Trump said it applies if "you kill somebody, or if you kill a police officer."
• Mayor Muriel Bowser's office did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

Context: The order comes nearly a month after Trump called for the death penalty as punishment for homicides in D.C. amid his crime crackdown in the city.

• The Justice Department is considering seeking the death penalty in the case of the killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers. The judge in the case is urging prudence, and the decision to pursue capital punishment is ultimately up to Bondi, The Hill reported.