About a month before his retirement, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his opposition to the death penalty on the 23rd (local time) and commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates to "life imprisonment without parole." This decision took into account that Donald Trump, who will re-enter the White House after him, is a proponent of the death penalty. As a result, the number of federal death row inmates in the U.S. has been reduced to just three.
In a statement on the day, President Biden said, "I am more convinced than ever that executions at the federal level must be halted," and explained the background of the commutations by saying, "I cannot step aside and allow the new administration to resume the executions I have halted." He added, "Make no mistake," and expressed, "I condemn these murderers, mourn the victims of their heinous acts, and extend my condolences to all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreversible losses."
With this decision, 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates had their sentences reduced to life imprisonment without parole. The remaining three who retained their death sentences are all mass murderers convicted of terrorism or hate crimes: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who carried out the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013; Robert Bowers, who attacked a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2017, killing 11; and Dylan Roof, a white supremacist who killed nine at a Methodist church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. The White House confirmed that President Biden opposes the death penalty but supports it only for mass murderers involved in terrorism and hate crimes.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, "Biden's decision came after weeks of wrestling with the fate of death row inmates," and noted that "religious groups and civic organizations urged Biden to act before handing over the White House to Trump." Earlier, Pope Francis publicly called for prayers for the commutation of sentences for U.S. death row inmates during his Sunday noon prayer, urging President Biden to commute the sentences. As a Catholic and opponent of the death penalty, President Biden had stated after his inauguration that he would not carry out executions.
Public opinion on this decision is divided. Amnesty International USA welcomed the commutation, saying, "The death penalty is an extremely cruel, inhumane, and degrading punishment. This move is a significant moment for human rights." Anthony Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, praised the decision, saying, "The president has solidified his legacy as a leader representing racial justice, humanity, and morality," and added, "It will undoubtedly be one of the major achievements of Biden's term."
On the other hand, the Trump transition team immediately opposed President Biden's commutation decision on the same day. Steven Cheung, appointed as White House Communications Director for Trump's second term and spokesperson for the Trump presidential campaign, stated in a press release, "These individuals (death row inmates) are the worst murderers in the world," and claimed, "This disgusting decision by Biden insults the victims, their families, and those who love the victims." He emphasized, "When President Trump, elected with overwhelming support from Americans, returns to the White House, he will restore the rule of law."
President-elect Trump, who will be inaugurated next January 1, is known as a staunch supporter of the death penalty. During his first term in office in 2020, he resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus and carried out 13 executions intensively until the end of his term.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton mocked on his X (formerly Twitter) account, "The Democrats cannot even defend Biden's absurd decision as a principled and comprehensive opposition to the death penalty," adding, "Because the three most politically toxic cases were not commuted."
Pro-Trump Fox News highlighted, "The death row inmates spared by Biden's commutations killed victims from all walks of American society, from sailors to 8-year-old children." Among those spared from execution this time are Marcivitz Barnett, who hijacked a car and killed his lover; Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and murdered a 12-year-old girl; Lejon Taylor, who kidnapped and killed a restaurant owner; Brandon Basham and Chadric Foulks, who kidnapped and murdered women after escaping prison; and Anthony Battle, who killed a prison guard.
Meanwhile, the death penalty is still carried out in 27 states in the U.S. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 76% of the 25 executions carried out in 2024 took place in Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas, states with strong Republican support.
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