Trump continued: “It makes no sense. Family and friends are devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Biden announced his decision on Monday, saying it was consistent with his administration’s moratorium on federal executions. Accordingly, there should be no possibility of early release from prison for the prisoners who are now sentenced to life.
The last federal execution took place on January 16, 2021, four days before then-President Trump left office. Before entering the White House, Biden announced that he would oppose the death penalty at the federal level. His Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a moratorium on federal executions in July 2021.
Death penalty opponents fear Trump will resume federal executions in his second term, which begins January 20. During his campaign, the president-elect repeatedly spoke of wanting to expand the use of the death penalty to include migrants who kill U.S. citizens and drug and human traffickers.
Biden’s decision only affects rulings by the federal judiciary, not the individual states. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, and a moratorium is in effect in six others. There have been 25 executions in the US this year, all based on federal verdicts.
