President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to “vigorously pursue the death penalty” for the country’s most heinous criminals — after President Biden commuted the sentences of 37 mass murderers and child killers.
“As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!”
Trump’s promise reupped his campaign vow to seek the death penalty against violent offenders.
In a stunning sweeping action, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 prisoners on federal death row Monday, giving them life sentences without parole instead of pending execution.
The White House called the move part of Biden’s plan of “ensuring a fair and effective justice system.
“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden wrote in a statement about the controversial commutations.
“But guided by my conscience and my experience as a public defender, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Vice President, and now President, I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level,” he said. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.”
Biden’s act of clemency was given to child murderers and mass murderers — nine of whom were found too dangerous to live after killing fellow inmates.
Jorge Avila-Torrez was one of the inmates given an early Christmas present by being freed from death row after murdering Amanda Snell, a young naval officer.
Alex Snell, Amanda’s brother, told The Post on Monday that he was in “disbelief” that Biden halted Avila-Torrez’s death penalty, adding he is “angry that justice is not being served.
“I’d rather see it go back to the way it was, where he was sentenced to death,” Snell wrote of Avila-Torrez, who also sexually assaulted and killed two girls and raped a grad student.
“Why does he need to get special treatment? He’s just going to risk other people,” Snell said.
“What justification does [Biden] have for doing this? I want to have him explain to us, to our faces, why he chose to give them mercy when they didn’t give other people mercy.”
Trump wrote in a separate post: “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country. 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!”
The incoming president has said he would also seek the death penalty against drug traffickers and illegal migrants who kill Americans in his fight to crack down on crime.