The administration of Donald Trump has approved the expansion of execution methods for federal death penalty cases, introducing firing squads, electrocution and gas asphyxiation as alternatives to lethal injection.
The policy shift was outlined in a new report from the US Department of Justice, which cited ongoing challenges in obtaining drugs used for lethal injections as a key reason for broadening execution options. Officials say the move is intended to ensure that federal authorities can carry out capital punishment even when specific drugs are unavailable.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche authorized the changes, which also include reinstating and expanding protocols used during Trump’s first term. The updated framework allows for multiple legally recognized execution methods already used in some U.S. states.
Lethal injection will remain the primary method, but the inclusion of older methods such as electrocution and firing squads reflects a growing trend among states facing drug shortages and legal hurdles. Gas asphyxiation, a newer method first introduced in Alabama in 2024, has also been added to the federal protocol.
The decision follows Trump’s earlier move to resume federal executions, reversing a moratorium imposed by former President Joe Biden. During his presidency, Biden commuted the sentences of most federal death row inmates, leaving only a small number still eligible for execution.
Among those remaining on federal death row are Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Dylann Roof, and Robert Bowers, though none currently have scheduled execution dates.
Legal challenges are expected, as changes to execution protocols often face scrutiny under constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. However, courts, including the US Supreme Court, have historically upheld various execution methods.
The expansion underscores ongoing tensions surrounding capital punishment in the United States, where debates continue over legality, ethics and the methods used to carry out death sentences.