Donald Trump declared his intention to direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty for violent criminals upon his inauguration. This announcement followed President Biden’s commutation of the death sentences of most federal death row inmates. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that his administration would prioritize the death penalty to protect American families and children, asserting that under his leadership, the US would again be “a Nation of Law and Order.”
However, Trump’s promise is limited by the fact that he cannot reverse Biden’s commutations of the 37 death sentences. Three death sentences remain intact: those of Robert Bowers (Tree of Life synagogue shooting), Dylann Roof (Mother Emanuel AME church shooting), and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (Boston Marathon bombing).
Reactions to Biden’s decision were sharply divided. While opponents of the death penalty praised the move, others expressed strong criticism. Donnie Oliverio, partner of Bryan Hurst (an Ohio police officer killed by a prisoner whose sentence was commuted), stated that his killer’s execution would not have brought him peace. Conversely, Hurst’s widow, Marissa Gibson, called Biden’s action distressing and a “complete dismissal and undermining of the federal justice system.”
The commutation also drew mixed reactions from family members of victims. Rev. Sharon Risher, a relative of several victims of the Mother Emanuel AME church shooting, deemed Biden’s decision “unfair” and urged him to commute the remaining three sentences. She argued against ranking victims and called on Biden to “finish the job,” encompassing both federal and military death rows.
President Biden, a long-standing opponent of capital punishment, justified his decision by stating that he could not allow the incoming administration to restart executions, a campaign promise made by Trump. Trump’s presidency had seen the execution of thirteen federal prisoners. Biden’s commutation prompted a furious response from Trump, who described the commuted prisoners as “the worst killers in our Country” and claimed that the decision further devastated their relatives and friends.