After Biden Commutes 37 Sentences, Donald Trump Promises to Restore the Federal Death Penalty

Ahead of his second term, the former president reaffirms his tough-on-crime posture.

Resuming his tough-on-crime rhetoric, former President Donald Trump has pledged to bring back the federal death sentence when he takes office in 2025.

The announcement follows President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the death row sentences of 37 federal offenders to life in prison without the possibility of release.

Trump reiterated his support for the death penalty for the most heinous criminals and denounced Biden’s choice in a message posted on Truth Social. “I will order the Justice Department to aggressively pursue the death penalty as soon as I take office in order to shield American families and children from vicious rapists, killers, and monsters.” He declared, “We will once more be a Nation of Law and Order.”

One of the pillars of Trump’s criminal justice philosophy has been his adamant support for the death penalty. The federal government carried out 13 federal death sentences between 2020 and 2021 during his first term in power, resuming executions after a 17-year break.

Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign made a point of calling for tougher punishments for serious crimes, such as the death penalty for mass shooters and drug traffickers.

Trump’s policies stand in stark contrast to Biden’s commutations. Advocates and human rights organizations have pushed the president to completely abolish the federal death penalty, pointing out that it disproportionately affects communities of color and those with lower incomes. Biden has instead taken little actions, like as decreasing sentences for some prisoners and stopping federal executions.