Donald Trump has introduced the death penalty in Washington DC as part of a crackdown on violent crime.

The US president signed a proclamation on Thursday mandating prosecutors in the district to pursue capital punishment in eligible cases such as murder.

“Capital punishment, capital city,” Mr Trump said as he signed the proclamation in front of reporters in the Oval Office.

“We can’t allow that to happen. People come in from Iowa to look at the Lincoln Memorial, and they end up getting killed. Doesn’t happen anymore.

“It’s not going to happen. And if it does happen, it’s the death penalty for the person that did it.”

Mr Trump argued his deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement officers to crack down on crime in the city has made it the “safest” in the country.