President Joe Biden has intervened to save almost all death row inmates across the nation, undermining Donald Trump’s ambitions to initiate a series of federal executions upon his anticipated return to the White House.
Biden declared his decision to commute the sentences of 37 convicted murderers just weeks before Trump is expected to resume duties in the Oval Office.
The individuals granted reprieve will now spend their lives in prison without the possibility of parole, leaving only three individuals convicted of mass murders on death row.
During his presidency, Trump resumed federal executions which had been halted for 20 years. A total of thirteen individuals faced execution, all occurring in the last half-year of his administration.
Amidst the ongoing presidential campaign for 2024, Trump has expressed intentions to broaden the scope of capital punishment to include not only murderers but also child predators, human traffickers, and drug offenders.
“We will push for death penalties for anyone caught distributing drugs, as these are heinous crimes, and it’s the only solution,” Trump stated during the opening day of his campaign.
Additionally, he demanded execution for any immigrant who takes the life of a U.S. citizen or a law enforcement official.
While expanding the statute would necessitate congressional action, opponents of the death penalty fear that Trump might still proceed, focusing on executing those who are already on death row.
“I am more resolute than ever that we need to abolish the death penalty at the federal level. Conscience prevents me from allowing a new administration to resume the executions I have suspended,” Biden articulated in a recent statement.
“Let it be clear: I denounce these murderers, mourn for the victims of their atrocious deeds, and deeply empathize with all the families who have endured unimaginable and irreparable grief,” he continued.
The White House has shared supportive statements from the families of victims as well as endorsements from religious figures and human rights organizations.
The three inmates remaining on death row include Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 31, responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; Dylann Roof, 30, a white supremacist who shot Black worshippers in a South Carolina church in 2015; and Robert D. Bowers, 52, who fatally shot congregants at a synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
According to Article 2 of the Constitution, the president holds the authority to commute federal sentences, including those involving capital punishment.
Earlier this month, Biden commuted the sentences of 1,500 non-violent offenders and issued a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for tax and firearm-related charges.
