Executive order restoring federal death penalty and expanding execution methods
January 20, 2025
Multiple Guardrails
Founders' Principles Violated
Guardrails Violated
Why Level 3?
Multiple guardrails bypassed: Congressional authority, separation of powers, constitutional rights. Expansion of execution methods raises Eighth Amendment concerns. Bypasses normal legislative process for capital punishment policy.
What Happened
Context
President Trump signed Executive Order 14164 'Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety' on January 20, 2025, restoring federal death penalty and expanding execution methods, including authorization for firing squad and other methods.
Action Taken
Signed Executive Order 14164 on January 20, 2025 restoring federal death penalty and expanding execution methods. Order authorized use of firing squad and other execution methods in addition to lethal injection. Expanded federal death penalty to cover additional crimes. Critics argued the order bypassed normal legislative process and raised constitutional questions about cruel and unusual punishment. Multiple legal challenges filed.
In His Own Words
"We need to restore the death penalty to protect public safety."
"Criminals who commit heinous crimes deserve the ultimate punishment."
"The death penalty is a necessary deterrent."
What's Wrong
Executive order expanding death penalty and execution methods without Congressional authorization. Death penalty policy traditionally requires legislative action. Order bypassed normal legislative process and public debate. Expansion of execution methods raises constitutional questions about cruel and unusual punishment under Eighth Amendment.
Impact
Constitutional: Questions about Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Legal: Multiple lawsuits filed challenging the order. Institutional: Bypasses normal legislative process for capital punishment policy. Operational: Resumption of federal executions after moratorium.