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(The Hill) — President Donald Trump on Monday signed a series of executive orders aimed at further cracking down on crime in the nation’s capital and other parts of the country, including one order targeting cashless bail policies and another seeking to crack down on those who desecrate the American flag.
The cashless bail order directs the administration to potentially review federal funding if jurisdictions do not move away from cashless bail policies.
Washington, D.C., moved away from cash bail decades ago. Illinois has eliminated cash bail entirely, and states like New York and New Jersey have moved away from cash bail for certain offenses.
“Cashless bail, we’re ending it,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “But we’re starting by ending it in D.C. And that we have the right to do through federalization.”
Trump earlier this month railed against cashless bail during a press conference where he announced plans to federalize the D.C. police department and deploy the National Guard around the city.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), a staunch Trump ally, said she would lead legislation seeking to outlaw cashless bail policies.
Proponents of the policy argue that cash bail disproportionately harms low-income offenders who cannot afford to post bond. Trump and other critics have argued that cashless bail policies allow offenders to end up back on the streets.
Trump on Monday also signed an executive order that would direct the attorney general to prosecute those cases where individuals desecrate the flag by identifying state and local laws they may have violated. It also directs administration officials to terminate or revoke visas if foreign nationals are found to have desecrated the flag.
A landmark 1989 Supreme Court ruling established that burning the American flag is protected under the First Amendment.
The president also signed an order directing the Secretary of Defense to establish “specialized units” within the National Guard to be trained and equipped to deal with “public order issues.” It also directs the attorney general to review whether the Metropolitan Police Department in D.C. has impeded officers from doing their jobs effectively.
Trump has ramped up threats to get involved in cracking down on crime outside the nation’s capital in recent days, telling reporters on Friday that Chicago would be his next target.
But unlike in Washington, D.C., 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.