Nicolai Haugsted
New poll suggests Americans are increasingly siding with Trump on capital punishment.
Public backing for capital punishment has increased in the United States, according to a new national survey, as President Donald Trump continues to advocate for expanding the use of the death penalty at the federal level.
The findings come as several states move to carry out more executions and introduce new methods, while the White House pursues policies aimed at accelerating capital punishment cases.
A new Pew Research Center survey found that 66% of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder. Thirty percent said they “strongly favor” capital punishment, while another 36% said they “somewhat favor” it.
Support has risen six percentage points since 2021 and now stands at roughly the same level recorded in 2020.
The survey also found that 68% of respondents believe the death penalty is morally justified in murder cases.
Opinion was more divided over whether executions prevent violent crime. Just 39% agreed that capital punishment acts as a deterrent, while 59% said they do not believe it has that effect.
Sharp political divide
The poll highlighted significant differences between Republicans and Democrats.
Among Republicans, 84% said they support the death penalty for convicted murderers. Support among Democrats was considerably lower, though a narrow majority—51%—still said they favor it.
Republicans were also far more likely to believe the punishment is morally justified and that it discourages serious crimes.
Pew surveyed 3,554 adults across the United States between July 6 and July 12.
Since returning to office, Trump has renewed efforts to expand capital punishment at the federal level.
On his first day back in the White House, he signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to broaden execution methods, including the use of firing squads, and to speed up death penalty cases that often remain unresolved for decades.
His administration has also instructed federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment more aggressively in cases involving the killing of law enforcement officers and certain crimes committed by people living in the United States illegally.
States increase executions
Several states have also expanded their use of capital punishment in recent years.
Forty-seven executions were carried out across 11 states last year, nearly doubling the total from the previous year. Florida recorded the highest number with 19 executions, while Idaho recently completed a new execution chamber designed for firing squad executions.
Louisiana resumed executions in 2025 after a 15-year pause, using nitrogen gas for the first time. Indiana also ended a 15-year hiatus by carrying out the execution of a convicted murderer who had been on death row for more than two decades.
Support for the death penalty has fluctuated throughout modern American history. After reaching a low point in the 1960s, public approval recovered following the Supreme Court’s decision in 1976 to uphold the constitutionality of revised state death penalty laws, and recent polling suggests support has continued to strengthen.
