President Joe Biden has transformed the fate of 37 federal death row inmates, commuting their sentences to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. This decision has elicited criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to restore capital punishment once he assumes power next month.
Trump voiced his criticism on Truth Social, claiming that President Joe Biden had commuted the death sentences of 37 of the nation’s most dangerous criminals. Trump expressed disbelief, stating that the nature of their crimes would leave others shocked by the decision. He added that this move has further devastated the victims’ families and friends, leaving them in disbelief.
With this landmark clemency announcement, only three federal inmates remain on death row: Dylann Roof, Robert Bowers, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, all convicted of hate-motivated mass murder or terrorism. The timing of Biden’s decision drew attention to its potential impact on the future of federal executions in the United States.
Biden expressed his firm opposition to the death penalty, emphasizing that his conscience and experience—ranging from public defender to president—compel him to prevent the resumption of federal executions he previously halted. He reaffirmed his belief in ending federal capital punishment.
Trump reacted to the announcement with a commitment to aggressively pursue capital punishment once he returns to power. “As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters,” Trump posted. “We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!”
The families of the victims have expressed mixed reactions to Biden’s decision. Heather Turner, whose mother was killed in a 2017 bank robbery, criticized the move, accusing Biden and his supporters of having “blood on their hands.” In contrast, retired Ohio police officer Donnie Oliverio, whose partner was killed by one of the commuted inmates, supported the decision, stating it aligns with their shared faith and would bring him more peace than an execution ever could.
Human rights groups have commended Biden’s decision. Paul O’Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, described the commutations as a significant moment for human rights, calling the death penalty “the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.”
Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, slammed Biden’s decision, labeling the commuted inmates as “among the worst killers in the world” and calling Biden’s move an “abhorrent decision” that disrespects the victims, their families, and their loved ones.
Biden’s commutations follow his recent grant of around 1,500 pardons and commutations to Americans convicted of nonviolent crimes, constituting the largest single-day act of clemency in modern U.S. history. During his term, Trump presided over 13 federal executions, the highest number in recent times, after he restarted federal executions following a 17-year pause.