The waning days of President Joe Biden's tenure in office have been marked by a deluge of clemency decisions benefitting not just his own son, but also individuals previously sentenced to die for committing some of the most heinous crimes imaginable.

That approach to criminal justice, however, appears poised to change in just a few weeks, with President-elect Donald Trump pledging to “vigorously pursue the death penalty” for the worst offenders once he retakes the Oval Office, as the New York Post reports.

Biden commutations spur controversy

It was on Monday that Biden announced his decision to commute the capital punishment sentences of 37 out of the 40 individuals currently sitting on federal death row and to commute them to life terms without parole, as the New York Post reported, a move that sparked a wide range of reactions from both sides of the political aisle.

Those receiving Biden's grant of clemency included child killers and mass murderers, though three particularly well-known inmates were not extended a commutation, namely, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, synagogue killer Robert Bowers, and Dylann Roof, responsible for the deaths of nine Black church attendees back in 2015.

According to Biden, his decision was borne out of his broader hope of “ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” adding that he is “more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.”

After the president converted the sentences of the aforementioned 37 individuals to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. his actions yielded strong reactions from those in support as well as those opposed.

Reactions pour in

Particularly critical of Biden's decision was Trump, who took to Truth Social to issue a scathing response.

“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. We will be a Nation of Law and Order again,” he declared.

As Fox News noted, joining Trump in condemning Biden's move was Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), who not only blasted the decision itself, but also the seemingly political manner in which it was conducted.

“Once again, Democrats side with depraved criminals over their victims, public order and common decency,” Cotton stated. “Democrats can't even defend Biden's outrageous decision as some kind of principled, across-the-board opposition to the death penalty, since he didn't commute the three most politically toxic cases. Democrats are the party of politically convenient justice.”

Offering a counterargument was far-left House “Squad” member Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who contended, “The president's decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row is a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion that will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity.”

Victims, Trump align

Speaking out in the wake of Biden's announcement was the daughter of Donna Major, a bank teller who was brutally murdered by one of the inmates who will now live, saying, “I was angry. I'm still angry. I am upset that this is even happening, that one man can make this decision without even talking to the victims, without any regard for what we've been through, what we're going through, and completely hurt, frustrated and angry.”

The still-grieving daughter recounted the barbarity of her mother's death, noting, “She was shown no mercy at all. This man walked into the bank, never said two words to her. Shot her three times total.”

Doubling down on his pledge to pursue the death penalty in cases such as these, Trump offered a Christmas message Wednesday in which he again blasted Biden's commutations and added, “to the 37 most violent criminals, who killed, raped, and plundered like virtually no one before them, but were just given, incredibly, a pardon by Sleepy Joe Biden. I refuse to wish a Merry Christmas to those lucky “souls” but, instead, will say, GO TO HELL!” expressing a sentiment with which millions of Americans surely agree.