President Donald Trump is set to sign two executive orders aimed at increasing federal intervention in crime policies, focusing on two key areas: ending cashless bail policies and cracking down on flag desecration, The Hill reported.
A White House official confirmed that Trump would sign an order threatening to revoke federal funding for cities and states that have implemented cashless bail policies. Earlier this month, Trump railed against cashless bail during a press conference where he also announced plans to federalise the DC police department and deploy the National Guard.
Elise Stefanik, a close Trump ally, has pledged to introduce legislation aimed at abolishing cashless bail policies nationwide, according to The Hill. Trump spoke about ending the no-cash bail policy earlier this month, though he hinted that he was going to do it through Congress using Republican votes “because the Democrats are weak on crime, totally weak on crime,” Fox News reported. “Every place in the country where you have no-cash bail is a disaster,” Trump said at the time, specifically naming New York and Chicago.
“I mean, bad politicians started it, bad leadership started it. But that was the one thing that’s central. No-cash bail. Somebody murders somebody and they’re out on no-cash bail before the day is out.” According to Fox News, no-cash bail is generally considered a progressive approach to criminal justice. As such, reforms have been implemented in states like New York, and data shows that bail elimination can lead to higher recidivism rates. Further, Trump is also expected to sign an executive order directing the Attorney General to crack down on flag desecration, in which people desecrate the flag by identifying state and local laws they may have violated.
This move comes despite the 1989 Supreme Court ruling that protects flag burning under the First Amendment. Trump has ramped up threats to get involved in cracking down on crime outside the nation’s capital in recent days, telling reporters Friday that Chicago would be his next target. But unlike in Washington, where the federal government has more authority, Trump cannot take control of another city’s police department. State and local officials have also pushed back on threats to send in the National Guard.
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