Trump on Friday announced he would declare a national emergency to build a wall on the border with Mexico. The president also covered a wide range of topics, from North Korea to China's death penalty.

Jeff Sessions has so far approved at least a dozen death penalty prosecutions over the past two years, according to court filings tracked by the Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel.

"The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when it's appropriate under current law," said Andrew Bremberg, director of Trump's Domestic Policy Council.