Biden Thwarts Trump's Plan To Expand Use Of Federal Death Penalty
Trump wanted to kill more federal death row inmates, but President Biden commuted 37 of the 40 inmates sentences to life in prison.
The Daily is a citizen newsletter written by experienced journalists that delivers opinions and analysis from outside Washington, D.C. Please support our work and join the community by becoming a subscriber.
Biden Uses His Power To Stand Up For His Principles
President Biden believes that the federal death penalty should only be used for cases of terrorism and mass murder, and he acted on those beliefs today by announcing that he will commute 37 of the 40 sentences on federal death row to life in prison.
The notable exceptions are the Boston Marathon Bomber, the Tree of Life synagogue shooter, and the Charleston Church Massacre shooter. As a rule, I try not to use the names of mass killers in my writing except when completely necessary.
According to a White House fact sheet provided to The Daily:
This historic clemency action builds on the President’s record of criminal justice reform. The President has issued more commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms. Earlier this month, the President announced clemency for approximately 1,500 Americans – the most ever in a single day – who have shown successful rehabilitation and a commitment to making communities safer. This included sentence commutations for nearly 1,500 individuals who were placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities, as well as 39 pardons for individuals who were convicted of non-violent crimes. President Biden is also the first President ever to issue categorical pardons to individuals convicted of simple use and possession of marijuana, and to former LGBTQI+ service members convicted of private conduct because of their sexual orientation.
The President’s criminal justice record has transformed individual lives and positively impacted communities, especially historically marginalized communities. In the coming weeks, the President will take additional steps to provide meaningful second chances and continue to review additional pardons and commutations.
Biden has been a reformer in many areas of his presidency. He has changed who the government works for by shifting its emphasis toward improving people's lives. Biden has allowed his values to guide his policies on criminal justice and shape his presidency.
President Biden also commuted the sentences to stop Donald Trump.
Biden Says He Could Not In Good Conscience Allow Trump To Kill Federal Death Row Inmates
Donald Trump is a shell of a human being with no values or morals.
Trump killed 13 federal inmates during his first term in office. No president had overseen that many federal executions since Grover Cleveland in the 1800s, and Trump planned to expand the use of the federal death penalty in his next term to include drug offenses.
Biden said in a statement that he couldn’t allow Trump to kill federal inmates:
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Daily with Sarah Jones to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.