President Donald Trump early Wednesday said that he and Republican congressional leaders are working on a “comprehensive crime bill” for the United States.
“Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader John Thune are working with me, and other Republicans, on a Comprehensive Crime Bill. It’s what our country need[s], and NOW! More to follow,” Trump posted on his Truth Social page shortly after midnight.
He did not elaborate further on what the bill would involve. Still, legislation could add to his efforts in fighting crime in the nation’s major cities, including Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, while helping to codify his recent executive orders into law.
Comprehensive crime bills have been enacted in past years, including the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984, which established the United States Sentencing Commission, eliminated parole for federal prisoners, and introduced the nation’s first statute on computer crime.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, meanwhile, imposed restrictions on some semiautomatic firearms, funded tens of thousands of additional police officers nationwide, and expanded the federal death penalty, allowing it to cover more criminal offenses.
Trump, who made fighting crime a central issue in his 2024 campaign, signed an executive order on Monday to direct the Department of Defense to expand its law enforcement role and to create new National Guard units that would be trained for “ensuring the public safety and order” in Washington, D.C., and all 50 states.
He also signed an executive order aimed at eliminating cashless bail in D.C. and nationwide, along with another order directing the Department of Justice to prosecute people who burn or desecrate the American flag.
On Tuesday, he announced that his administration has “no choice” but to seek the death penalty for all murder cases in the national capital. Meanwhile, Trump this summer deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is challenging the president’s decision to send troops to Los Angeles in June, saying the move was illegal. Trump said the troops were needed to protect federal buildings from protesters and to assist federal law enforcement officials carrying out immigration actions.
Newsom’s challenge is still awaiting a federal court ruling.
This month, Trump federalized the D.C. police force while deploying troops, and has taken credit for a drop in crime.
He has suggested expanding deployments to other major cities, including Chicago and New York City, saying crime in the traditionally Democrat-run cities is out of control.
The president, in an open media event before his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, denied Democrats’ claims that he is acting like a “dictator,” but insisted that he wants crime in Democrat-run cities to stop.
“I’m not a dictator,” he said. “I just know how to stop crime.”
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