Staff Reports
Joe Biden is cooking up a potential Christmas surprise that has a lot of people scratching their heads—he’s considering commuting the sentences of all 40 federal death row inmates before he wraps up his term. This proposal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is about as welcome as a fruitcake at a holiday gathering. With this move, Biden seems fixated on “Trump-proofing” his legacy, apparently concerned that the next president might have some wildly different ideas about criminal justice and public safety.
During the Trump administration, the death penalty wasn’t a dirty word. In fact, 13 inmates met their end after due process ran its course. Fast-forward to Biden’s era, and it appears he’s trying to flip the script. By wanting to transform death sentences into life without parole, he’s not just rewriting the narrative—he’s rewriting justice itself.
The push for commuting these sentences has gained traction thanks to a coalition of religious groups and anti-death penalty activists. The urgency to act appears to be palpable, with Christmas looming just around the corner. But there’s one major party at the other end of the spectrum who isn’t taking this lightly: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. He voiced his disgust, suggesting that Biden might value progressive dogma over the severe consequences of violent crime. It’s as if McConnell is asking whether, in a world where the president is prioritizing politics over victims’ lives, the country is losing its grip on common sense.
The matter grows even more convoluted when one considers not just those prisoners in the Justice Department’s hands, but also military inmates who are currently sipping cold brews on death row at Fort Leavenworth. It remains unclear whether Biden’s potential commutation plan would reach into those ranks, leaving open questions about future capital cases, including a high-profile murder involving a healthcare executive. While Biden might be dreaming of a “mercy-filled” holiday season, it seems a few families are dreaming instead of justice served.
Biden Considering Commuting the Sentences of All 40 Federal Death Row Inmateshttps://t.co/RqO9ircsTM
— PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) December 22, 2024
In 2020, Biden campaigned on abolishing the federal death penalty and has since maintained a steadfast moratorium on executions. Even a recent analysis by the Justice Department to revise capital punishment policies has provided no solid conclusions, casting further doubt on what the future might hold for the condemned. And let’s not forget the notorious case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—the mastermind behind 9/11—whose trial leaves many wondering whether political correctness could overshadow the horrors he orchestrated.
One must ponder: how does an individual decide whether some killers deserve mercy? The roster of candidates for potential commutation includes some truly chilling stories—a poacher who murdered two young girls, a Las Vegas predator, and a medical professional who silenced a witness. Even those who committed acts as atrocious as the Boston Marathon bombing may find themselves spared from punishment. It raises eyebrows as to whether empathy is meant for the victims or the perpetrators.
While Biden has the power to commute these sentences, doing so undermines the very foundations of juries and judges who meticulously weighed the circumstances surrounding these cases. For many, the death penalty symbolizes society’s sternest measure against heinous crimes. Throwing that all into the blender of political maneuvering raises serious moral questions about the current administration’s priorities. The somber reality is that with every act of leniency, the victims—and their families—are left questioning the integrity of a system that once promised them justice.
