December 24th 2024.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - President-elect Donald Trump has made a bold promise to continue his pursuit of capital punishment, despite President Joe Biden's decision to commute the sentences of nearly all federal death row inmates. Trump criticized Biden's decision, arguing that it not only goes against the moratorium on federal executions, but also disrespects the families of the victims. He took to social media to express his frustration, stating that the acts committed by these inmates were heinous and their sentences should not be commuted. Trump has also stated that he plans to direct the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty as soon as he is inaugurated, specifically for cases involving violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.
This is not the first time Trump has expressed his support for capital punishment. Throughout his campaign, he has called for the expansion of the federal death penalty, including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and even migrants who kill U.S. citizens. However, experts say that while Trump may want to use the death penalty, it may not be feasible under existing laws.
With Biden's decision, there are now only three federal inmates left on death row, as compared to over 2,000 inmates sentenced to death by states. This raises the question of whether Trump's administration will attempt to take over some state murder cases, particularly those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. There is also the possibility that Trump may try to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty.
There is also speculation that Trump's recent statement on pursuing the death penalty may be an attempt to get the Supreme Court to reconsider their stance on the death penalty for rape. However, experts say this would be a lengthy process and not something that can happen overnight. During his campaign, Trump had planned to announce his support for the death penalty for child rapists, but ultimately did not mention it at his rally.
Trump also highlighted two specific cases in his statement, including that of ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later admitting to the fatal stabbing of two young girls in a Chicago park. The other case was that of Thomas Steven Sanders, who was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, as well as shooting her mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Both men have admitted to their crimes.
While some families of the victims have expressed anger over Biden's decision, advocacy groups have praised the move, saying it will make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The American Civil Liberties Union and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are among the groups that have supported Biden's decision. However, Trump has left three federal inmates to face execution, including Dylann Roof, who carried out a racist attack on a church in South Carolina, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers, who committed a mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh.
In the end, it is unclear how Trump's pursuit of the death penalty will play out once he takes office. Some experts believe it may just be rhetoric at this point, while others think he may try to make changes to existing laws. Whatever the case may be, it is evident that this issue will continue to be a controversial topic in the years to come.
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