President Donald Trump on Monday took direct aim at cashless bail policies, promising to use Congress to help “change the statute” in major cities including New York City, Chicago and Washington, DC, CNN reported.
“This dire public safety crisis stems directly from the abject failures of the city’s local leadership,” Trump reportedly said.
“The ‘radical left’ city council adopted no cash bail. By the way, every place in the country where you have no cash bail is a disaster. That is what started the problem.”
Trump specifically cited New York and Chicago, and took a dig at his political opponents, reportedly saying, “We are going to end that in Chicago. We are going to change the statute, and I’m going to have to get the Republicans to vote, because the Democrats are weak on crime.”
“We are going to change no cash bail. We are going to change the statute and get rid of some of the other things, and we’ll count on the Republicans in Congress and Senate to vote,” he added.
DC and Other Cities Already Reformed Bail Laws
According to an Associated Press report published last month, Washington, DC, largely removed cash bail back in 1992. Cities and states across the US have pursued similar reforms in recent years, often in response to concerns about fairness in the criminal justice system.
In 2023, Illinois became the first US state to fully eliminate cash bail, following the passage of the SAFE-T Act, in a move that lets judges weigh flight risk and public safety rather than financial means.
A 2024 report from Loyola University of Chicago’s Center for Criminal Justice cited by the US-based news agency found no significant rise in crime in Illinois after the change. In fact, some counties, the AP report said, saw declines in violent and property crimes, although the study also noted that it’s too early for definitive conclusions.
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