Trump Demands that Federal Executions Begin Anew

Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 or the 40 prisoners on federal death row. Trump wants to execute as many as possible. And wants to help states do the same.

If you were wondering about changes in the use of the death penalty at either the state or federal levels since Donald Trump reassumed the presidency, well, wonder no more. On his very first day as president, Trump signed an executive order directing the Attorney General “to seek the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use.” This includes two specific circumstances—when the victim is a law enforcement officer or when the murder is committed “by an alien illegally present in this country.”