President-elect Trump’s team strongly criticized President Biden on Monday for commuting the death sentences of 37 federal death row inmates. Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, didn’t hold back, calling Biden’s decision a “slap in the face” to the victims and their families.
“These are some of the worst killers in the world,” Cheung said. “This decision by Joe Biden is deeply disrespectful to the victims and their loved ones. President Trump believes in the rule of law, and when he’s back in the White House, justice will return.”
The White House announced that Biden commuted the death sentences to life in prison without parole. According to officials, the inmates were convicted of horrific crimes, including killing law enforcement officers, children, and other prisoners.
Republican lawmakers, including Senator Eric Schmitt from Missouri, voiced their frustration. Schmitt posted on social media, saying the decision felt like a betrayal to victims’ families who had hoped for justice.
The White House explained Biden’s reasoning, saying he believes the federal death penalty should only be used in extreme cases, such as terrorism or hate crimes. Biden had already paused federal executions when he became president, and this decision ensures the next administration can’t resume the sentences.
Three death row inmates were not included in Biden’s commutations. Among them are Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018; Dylann Roof, who murdered nine Black churchgoers at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, which killed three people and injured hundreds.
Biden said he couldn’t allow a future administration to restart executions. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted,” he explained.
This decision follows Biden’s earlier efforts to reduce sentences and grant pardons. During his presidency, he has commuted sentences for over 1,600 inmates, many of whom were placed in home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also issued pardons, including one for his son, Hunter.
According to the Department of Justice, Biden has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his term than most recent presidents.
In contrast, Trump has taken a tough stance on the death penalty, even suggesting that drug dealers should face capital punishment. “We’re going to push for the death penalty for those caught selling drugs,” Trump said earlier this year, calling it a necessary measure to address the problem.
The debate over Biden’s decision highlights the sharp differences in how the two leaders approach justice and punishment. For now, the conversation continues, with both sides standing firm in their beliefs.
