Trump implemented the death penalty at the federal level in the United States.

Following his inauguration, the new President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed a series of "important documents" regarding changes in the United States. In particular, one of these pertained to the reinstatement of the death penalty at the federal level, reported on Tuesday, January 21, by the AP agency.

The order issued by Donald Trump mandates the Department of Justice not only to seek the death penalty in relevant federal cases but also to promote the retention of such punishment in states struggling to maintain adequate supplies of lethal injection drugs for executions.

“The most important duty of the government is to protect its citizens from heinous acts, and my administration will not tolerate attempts to undermine and abolish laws that sanction the death penalty against those who commit horrific acts of violence against American citizens,” the order states.

It is noted that in the document, the American President instructed the Attorney General to pursue federal jurisdiction and demand the death penalty “regardless of other factors” in cases of the murder of law enforcement officers or crimes punishable by death. Specifically, the death penalty will also apply to “foreigners illegally present in this country.”

Additionally, Trump directed the Attorney General to attempt to overturn Supreme Court precedents that limit the powers of state and federal governments regarding the application of the death penalty.

It is mentioned that Trump's order came just a few days after Garland withdrew the Justice Department's protocol on federal executions, which allowed the use of pentobarbital in a single-drug lethal injection, a method that could cause “unnecessary pain and suffering” to the accused. Notably, the protocol on pentobarbital was introduced during Trump’s first presidency by the then Attorney General.

Federal executions were suspended in 2021 by the decision of then Attorney General Merrick Garland. Prior to that, during Donald Trump's first term from 2016 to 2020, his administration carried out 13 federal executions—more than any president in modern history.

It is worth recalling that in January 2024, for the first time in 50 years, a new method of execution was applied in the U.S.—using nitrogen hypoxia, chosen as an alternative to lethal injection. The execution of the inmate lasted about 22 minutes.

In the Alabama Department of Corrections, where the execution took place, it was stated that the method of execution using nitrogen hypoxia “proved to be effective and humane.” However, prior to the implementation of such a method, there were ongoing court cases regarding the constitutionality of using nitrogen hypoxia on humans.