CurrentReport Blog U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has strongly criticized outgoing President Joe Biden for commuting the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates. This decision, made during Biden’s final month in office, sparked intense debate across the country.
President Joe Biden recently announced the commutation of 37 death row sentences to life imprisonment without parole. The decision affects individuals convicted of severe crimes, including nine prisoners who murdered fellow inmates, four involved in fatal bank robberies, and one who killed a prison guard.
Biden’s decision aligns with his administration’s moratorium on federal executions, a stance aimed at reforming the U.S. justice system. However, it excludes three individuals:
- One of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombers.
- A gunman responsible for killing 11 Jewish worshippers in 2018.
- A white supremacist who murdered nine Black churchgoers in 2015.
Donald Trump condemned Biden’s decision in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform.
“Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our country,” Trump wrote.
“When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening.”
Trump, who has expressed support for the federal death penalty, indicated his intention to reinstate executions after taking office.
Biden faced pressure to act on his commitment to justice reform before his presidency ends on January 20. Critics of the death penalty applauded his actions as a step toward ending capital punishment. Conversely, opponents, including Trump, argue that the move denies justice to victims and their families.
