President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at eliminating cashless bail in Washington, D.C., directing federal authorities to detain arrestees to the fullest extent possible under law.
The order tasks law enforcement agencies within the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to pursue federal charges and pretrial detention whenever possible. It also instructs the Attorney General to assess whether the District continues its cashless bail policy for serious crimes, including murder, rape, carjacking, assault, burglary, and looting.
The move targets what the White House characterizes as dangerous release policies that allow repeat offenders back on the streets. If D.C.’s cashless bail policy remains unchanged, the administration threatens to take actions, including federal funding decisions and other measures the Attorney General deems necessary.
Under current D.C. law, cash bail is effectively outlawed, resulting in the release of most arrested individuals awaiting trial. The White House cited several incidents to underscore its concerns.
A journalist was reportedly injured and sexually abused near Union Station by a homeless man who was then released before trial. Another man charged with throwing a Subway sandwich at a federal officer — facing up to eight years in prison — was released on his own recognizance.
In one case, a man charged with inappropriately touching three women in Northwest Washington was released, only to be arrested two days later for allegedly sexually abusing three more women in broad daylight. Another individual released on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a police officer was charged two days later in a fatal Metro stabbing.
The White House cited a 2023 study from Yolo County, California, claiming its “Zero Bail” policy resulted in 163% more crime and 200% more violent crime compared to those who posted bail.
“… I will crack down on the left-wing jurisdictions that refuse to prosecute dangerous criminals and set loose violent felons on cashless bail… If you kill somebody, ‘there’s no bond. Don’t worry about it. Go ahead. Kill somebody else.’ These people are crazy, I’ll tell you,” Trump said, according to the White House statement.
The order follows Trump’s mobilization of the National Guard earlier this month and his invocation of emergency authority over the D.C. Metro Police Department.
The executive order represents Trump’s latest effort to fulfill campaign promises on crime and public safety. The administration argues that federal workers and visitors to the nation’s capital deserve protection from repeat offenders released under current bail policies.