Death Penalty Support Rises to 66% as Trump Pushes to Expand Capital Punishment

Support for the death penalty is rising among Americans, with a new national survey finding that roughly two-thirds of the country favors capital punishment for people convicted of murder.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in July found that 66% of U.S. adults favor the death penalty for convicted murderers, compared with 32% who oppose it. Support has climbed six percentage points from 2021, when 60% favored capital punishment.

The poll found that 30% of Americans strongly favor the death penalty, while another 36% somewhat favor it. On the other side, 20% somewhat oppose capital punishment and 13% strongly oppose it.

Americans were even more likely to consider the punishment morally justified. Sixty-eight percent said the death penalty is morally justified when someone commits a crime such as murder, compared with 28% who said capital punishment is morally wrong even in murder cases.

The survey nevertheless found considerably more skepticism about whether executions actually prevent crime. Only 39% said the death penalty deters people from committing serious crimes, while 59% said it does not.

There is also a significant partisan divide. Eighty-four percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents support the death penalty for murder, compared with 51% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents. Eighty-five percent of Republicans said capital punishment for murder is morally justified, compared with 55% of Democrats.

The new polling arrives as President Trump pushes to expand the use of capital punishment at the federal level. Trump has long supported the death penalty for particularly serious crimes and has directed his administration to pursue capital punishment more aggressively in eligible federal cases.

Several states have also moved forward with executions or taken steps to make carrying them out easier. Florida has been particularly aggressive in its use of capital punishment, while other states have pursued alternative execution methods or expanded their ability to carry out existing death sentences.

Despite growing overall support, Americans continue to express concerns about wrongful convictions. Nearly three-quarters of respondents said there is at least some risk that an innocent person could ultimately be put to death, while only one-quarter believe sufficient safeguards exist to prevent that outcome.

The latest numbers show that capital punishment retains broad support even as Americans remain divided over how fairly and effectively it operates. With support now at 66% and the Trump administration seeking a more aggressive approach to federal executions, the death penalty is once again becoming a significant national criminal justice issue.