Do Americans Still Support the Death Penalty? What The Polls Show
Summary
Most Americans still support the death penalty, but support has decreased over time. Recent events in Tennessee, including a failed execution, have brought new attention to capital punishment.Key Facts
- A July 2025 Pew Research poll found 66% of Americans support the death penalty for murder, while 32% oppose it.
- 68% said the death penalty is morally justified in murder cases, but 59% believed it does not stop serious crimes.
- Gallup polls in 2025 showed support closer to 52%, down from a high of 80% in 1994.
- A failed execution in Tennessee in September 2026 involved Christa Pike, who survived a lethal injection attempt.
- Tennessee paused executions pending a review, but other states plan to continue.
- President Donald Trump supports capital punishment and in 2025 directed the Justice Department to pursue the death penalty for serious federal crimes.
- An execution of Jamaal Howard is scheduled in Texas for October 7, the first planned after Pike's failed execution.
- President Trump approved the use of the firing squad for Nidal Hasan, convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
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