On August 25, President Donald Trump (R) signed a sweeping executive order aimed at dismantling cashless bail in Washington, D.C. He also warned other jurisdictions that rely on the practice that they could face the loss of federal funds.
“I will crack down on the Left-wing jurisdictions that refuse to prosecute dangerous criminals and set loose violent felons on cashless bail … . If you kill somebody, there’s no bond,” said the president.
The order directs federal prosecutors to take up cases in D.C. to ensure pretrial detention and instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify cities that continue to maintain similar bail-free policies. The White House’s goal, in a nutshell, is to end the revolving door of crime, a move the administration says will protect ordinary citizens from violent offenders who too often return to the streets within hours of arrest.
It also highlights a broader issue: cashless bail has become a key mechanism through which violent offenders can avoid accountability, even as the gun-control Left attributes rising crime rates to the law-abiding gun owners.
For defenders of the Second Amendment, Trump’s executive order exposes the absurdities of the gun-control Left. On one hand, the far Left continues to push for tighter restrictions on the constitutional rights of lawful gun owners; on the other, it promotes cashless bail policies that release dangerous criminals back into communities.
While gun-control advocates falsely insist that firearms drive crime, their preferred “reforms” often remove accountability from the individuals who actually commit the violence. Those who want cashless bail may say they want to reduce inequities of the defendants who cannot afford bond, but the data shows that repeat offenders are disproportionately responsible for violent crime.
A study conducted in Yolo County, Calif., found that implementing zero-bail policies resulted in a 163% increase in total crime and a 200% increase in violent crime among arrestees released under these policies, compared to those released under traditional bail systems. Research in Cook County, Ill., revealed that after bail reform the number of released defendants charged with new crimes rose 45%
Similarly, a California Policy Lab study of Los Angeles County observed increases in violent crime under emergency zero-bail policies. A study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission found that 63.8% of federal violent offenders were rearrested for a new crime or a violation of supervision conditions, compared to 39.8% of non-violent offenders. Moreover, among United States prisoners, for example, 78% had at least one prior conviction, and 42% had five or more incarcerations.
In Washington, D.C., where cashless bail has been the norm for years, proponents continue to claim that crime in Washington has fallen to a 30-year low, a statistic The Heritage Foundation has called false.
The dangers of such efforts are not abstract but deeply personal. The White House highlighted several disturbing cases: a journalist assaulted near Union Station by a man who was quickly released, another defendant accused of groping multiple women only to reoffend days later and a suspect who was freed after assaulting a police officer but was soon rearrested for fatally stabbing someone on a Metro train.
These are merely a snapshot of what takes place every day inside our nation’s capital—at least until the president took action.
Beyond changes to cashless bail, the Trump administration has taken unprecedented steps to protect public safety in the capital. Over 2,200 National Guard troops from D.C. and six other states have been deployed. These troops operate under strict rules of engagement, authorized to use force only as a last resort in response to imminent threats. The Metropolitan Police Department has also been placed under federal oversight to ensure that law enforcement can respond effectively. These measures, while controversial, are intended to provide a secure environment for residents and visitors alike.
But, at the end of the day, a reduction in crime and citizen safety begins with the individual right to lawfully bear arms.
