President Trump called this week for an end to cashless bail and the restoration of the death penalty for any murder case in the nation’s capital. He said he wanted to see a surge in arrests, and for minors to be charged as adults. And he was clear that his motivation was about more than just public safety.

“I think crime will be the big subject of the midterms and will be the big subject of the next election,” Trump said on Tuesday. “I think it’s going to be a big, big subject for the midterms and I think the Republicans are going to do really well.”

The comment, made during a three-hour cabinet meeting that appeared tailored for reality television, was an example of the president saying the quiet part out loud. The party that controls the White House usually suffers from a backlash in midterm contests, and a tough-on-crime message has proved potent for Republicans in recent elections.

In a way, Trump’s crime crackdown is a return to form for a politician who even as a real estate developer in 1980s New York City called for severe penalties — including the death penalty — for those only accused of crimes. But his latest comments were also a sign of his willingness to bend his position to what he deems to be a winning issue and seize on concerns over crime to galvanize his base.

Just five years ago, as protests spread throughout the nation calling for criminal justice reform, the Trump campaign was focused on showcasing a major accomplishment from Trump’s first term: legislation that promoted leniency and rehabilitation in the criminal justice system rather than simply tougher prison sentences.

The First Step Act was a key piece of his campaign’s messaging to Black voters in particular. The law, which aimed at rolling back tough sentencing that caused the country’s prison system to balloon, was celebrated by prison reform advocates as a sign that both political parties believed in policies that would emphasize second chances for those entangled in the system.