Full Breakdown
Federal Death Penalty Revived: DOJ Restores Firing Squad and Lethal Injection
4/26/2026, 9:08:15 PM
Core Event: DOJ Rescinds Moratorium and Expands Execution Methods
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it is rescinding the Biden-era moratorium on federal executions and will again use lethal injection and, for the first time in decades, firing squads. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the pursuit of death sentences against nine federal defendants and said the agency will streamline internal processes to speed death-penalty cases.
Background & Context: Biden Moratorium, Trump Executions, and Historical Use of Firing Squads
The moratorium began in 2021 when the DOJ halted all federal executions and stopped using pentobarbital, the drug most common for lethal injection. In his final days, President Joe Biden commuted 37 of the 40 federal death-row inmates. President Donald Trump reinstated federal executions in 2017, overseeing 13 lethal-injection deaths before leaving office in 2021. Firing squads have been rare: Utah used them in 1977, 1996 and 2010; South Carolina, which approved the method in 2021, executed three inmates by firing squad in 2022. Pentobarbital has been the standard lethal-injection agent since Oklahoma first used it in 2010.
Official Statements & Responses: DOJ Rationale and Legal Justifications
The Justice Department said the reinstated methods are “critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones.” Blanche noted the policy aligns with Supreme Court rulings that firing squads, electric chairs and gas chambers meet the Eighth Amendment’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishments.” He said the change reflects “enforcing the law and standing with victims” under Trump’s leadership.
Criticism & Opposition: Legislative Pushback
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) condemned the policy as “a stain on history,” arguing that expanding execution methods threatens the nation’s commitment to humane punishment and may conflict with evolving standards of decency.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, ?delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones,” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General
- “Under President Trump’s leadership, ?the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims,” — Todd Blanche, Acting Attorney General
- “stain on history.” — Richard Durbin, U.S. Senator (Illinois)
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DOJ has not released the names of the nine defendants or a schedule for any executions. It also has not identified which states will host the first federal firing-squad executions, a detail required by law.
What’s Next: Implementation and Legal Review
The Justice Department will pursue death sentences against the nine individuals and will coordinate with states that permit the death penalty to carry out the executions. Advocacy groups have signaled intent to challenge the expansions on constitutional grounds.
