New Delhi, Aug. 27 -- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (August 26) declared that the federal government will seek the death penalty in homicide cases in Washington, D.C., a move aimed at presenting a tough-on-crime image in the nation's capital.

"If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we're going to be seeking the death penalty, and that's a very strong preventative," Trump said during a White House cabinet meeting.

"I don't know if we're ready for it in this country, but we have it - we have no choice. So in D.C., in Washington - states are going to have to make their own decision - but if somebody kills somebody ... it's the death penalty, okay?"

Washington, D.C., does not currently have a death penalty. The...