Reactions to Biden's Death Row Commutations

Media sources and victims' families are reacting to President Joe Biden's death row commutations.

Key Details: Since Biden granted clemency to federal prisoners on December 23, victims' families and others affected by death row convictions have shared emotions ranging from anger to relief. The ACLU and other opponents to the death penalty praised Biden for the commutations, saying he was empathetic, compassionate, and open to new information and circumstances. Meanwhile, those advocating for expanding capitol punishment spoke out against the commutations, saying that there is nothing to suggest that the handling of these 37 cases was unfair.

For Context: Recently, advocacy groups have been urging Biden to "make it more difficult" for President-elect Donald Trump to expand the use of capital punishment for federal crimes.

How the Media Covered it: Some sources on the left focused on Trump's return to the White House and his indication that he would restart federal executions. Some sources on the right reported that the federal commutations seemed to supersede the will of the American people as expressed through Congress and not based on the facts of individual cases.