President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he plans to direct the justice department to vigorously pursue the death penalty for perpetrators of violent crimes. This statement comes in response to Joe Biden commuting the death sentences of most prisoners on federal death row. Trump expressed his commitment to law and order and protecting American families from violent criminals. However, he will not be able to reverse Biden’s recent commutations, which spared 37 federal death row prisoners but left three capital sentences intact.
The decision to commute the death sentences has elicited mixed reactions, with opponents of the death penalty praising Biden’s move while others criticizing it. Family members of victims, such as Donnie Oliverio and Marissa Gibson, expressed disappointment and frustration over the decision. Rev Sharon Risher, a family member of victims of Dylann Roof, urged Biden to commute the sentences of the remaining three men on federal death row and those on military death row.
Biden, who is against the death penalty, defended his decision by stating that he could not allow his administration to restart executions, which was a promise made by Trump during his campaign. Trump, in response, criticized Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences, stating that the individuals on death row were some of the worst killers in the country. The debate over the death penalty continues to be a contentious issue that divides public opinion.
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