President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at revitalizing the use of the death penalty in the United States. The order directs the Attorney General to take necessary actions to ensure that states have adequate supplies of lethal injection drugs for executions. This move comes just hours after Trump returned to the White House and marks a significant step in his effort to revive federal executions, which were paused under former President Joe Biden.

Trump's order also mandates that the Justice Department actively seek the death penalty in appropriate federal cases, particularly those involving the killing of law enforcement officers or crimes committed by individuals illegally present in the country. The president also instructed the Attorney General to challenge Supreme Court rulings that limit the ability of federal and state governments to impose the death penalty.

The executive order echoes Trump's stance on capital punishment, reinforcing his administration's commitment to protecting citizens from violent crimes. He emphasized that the government’s primary duty is to safeguard citizens from heinous acts and vowed to prevent efforts to undermine laws supporting capital punishment.

Trump had previously overseen 13 federal executions during his first term, the most by any president in modern history, and has expressed intentions to expand the practice. In a recent campaign speech, he called for the death penalty for those involved in drug trafficking and praised harsh measures taken by other countries, such as China.

This order comes shortly after the Justice Department under Biden withdrew a federal execution protocol that used a single-drug lethal injection, pentobarbital, due to concerns about causing unnecessary pain. Trump’s administration may reinstate or revise this protocol, particularly under the leadership of acting Attorney General James McHenry III or his future nominee, Pam Bondi, once confirmed by the Senate.

The federal death row currently holds only three individuals: Dylann Roof, convicted of the 2015 Charleston church shooting; Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, responsible for the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing; and Robert Bowers, who carried out the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting.