"When the death penalty question was in the hands of Todd Blanche, on multiple occasions I asked to speak with him. Last month, the Justice Department dropped its pursuit of the death penalty against Boelter. It added that "significant legal or evidentiary obstacles" can also leave the department with no way to pursue the death penalty. On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order called "Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety." The Death Penalty Information Center keeps a database of all death sentences handed out since 1972.