An unfolding legal drama involving the death penalty, due process and executive power deserves more attention. In the waning days of his presidency, Joe Biden used the pardon power to commute the sentences of 37 out of 40 federal prisoners awaiting execution. Donald Trump was outraged at this decision and set out to roll it back. Once the Trump Justice Department got up and running in 2025, the Bureau of Prisons changed course. Trump’s attempted retaliation for Biden’s clemency is also a warning about where an increasingly out-of-control pardon power may lead.

Source: Washington Post February 15, 2026 15:31 UTC