Deccan News Service: President-elect Donald Trump has strongly condemned outgoing US President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 federal prisoners, vowing to reinstate the death penalty for rapists and murderers once he assumes office.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “Joe Biden commuted the death penalty for 37 murderers in the country. As soon as I take office as president, I will order the Justice Department to execute rapists and murderers. This move will protect the American people. I will restore law and order in the country.”

Biden’s commutations have sparked controversy, with many debating the future of capital punishment in the United States. Federal executions, which resumed during Trump’s first term after a 17-year hiatus, saw 13 individuals executed in six months. The last federal execution occurred on January 16, 2021. Under Biden, no executions took place until the recent commutations, leaving only three individuals on federal death row, including the Boston Marathon bombing convict.

The death penalty remains a divisive issue in the United States. Of the 50 states, 23 have abolished capital punishment, while six have imposed temporary suspensions. Despite this, a resurgence of executions at the state level resulted in 25 death sentences carried out nationwide in 2024 alone.

Biden’s decision underscores the ongoing tension between federal and state approaches to the death penalty, and Trump’s latest comments signal a stark shift in policy as he prepares to re-enter the presidency.