President-elect Donald Trump had a Christmas Day message to those granted clemency by outgoing President Joe Biden— telling them to “go to Hell.” Reigniting his tough-on-crime stance, Trump vowed to reinstate and actively pursue federal executions once he assumes office in less than a month in response to Biden's decision to commute the sentences of most inmates on federal death row. Trump’s promise signals a return to stricter law-and-order policies, emphasizing accountability and a commitment to reversing what he describes as Biden's leniency toward the nation’s most dangerous offenders.
One of the main agenda items Trump plans to pursue is the use of the death penalty, promising to go after “rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He refused to “wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky souls.”
Earlier this week, Trump slammed Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal death row inmates to life in prison without parole. Some of those prisoners include child killers and several mass murderers. The incoming president called the move senseless and disrespectful to the families of their victims. In defense, Biden argued his decision aligned with his administration's moratorium on federal executions, except in cases of terrorism or hate-driven mass murder.
“Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!”
Biden granted the reprieve that reduced the inmates’ sentences to life without parole in prison under the guise of promoting a “fair and effective justice system.” Critics argue this move undermines justice for the victims and prioritizes criminal leniency over accountability. One of the prisoners granted clemency admitted to murdering several people, including a woman and a small child.
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Trump has been consistent in his fight for the death penalty, viewing it as an essential tool to bring law and order back to the nation. During his first term, the incoming 47th president resumed federal executions after nearly being on a 20-year pause. He oversaw the executions of 13 people, resulting in the highest amount that any other previous president in modern U..S history.
Historically, most Americans support the death penalty. However, its support has dropped slightly in the past years, decreasing from 80 percent support in 1994 to 53 percent in 2024.
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