President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration will seek the reinstatement of the death penalty for murder cases in Washington, D.C., as part of broader efforts to combat crime in the nation’s capital.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump argued that capital punishment would serve as a deterrent. “If somebody kills somebody in the capital, Washington, D.C., we’re going to be seeking the death penalty,” he said, calling it a “very strong preventative.”

The president’s remarks follow recent moves by his administration to increase law enforcement presence in D.C., including deploying and arming National Guard troops. Trump has long advocated expanding the death penalty nationwide and signed an executive order on his first day in office directing the attorney general to encourage its wider use.

Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the Justice Department is considering the death penalty in the case of Elias Rodriguez, accused of fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers in May. While that is a federal case, legal challenges could arise if Trump seeks to apply the policy to other D.C. murder cases.