Sen. Joe Manchin III strongly criticized President Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of dozens of death row inmates, including two convicted murderers from the senator’s home state of West Virginia.
Manchin specifically objected to the commutations of Brandon Basham and Chadrick Fulks, who were convicted of murdering Marshall University student Samantha Burns two decades ago during a crime spree that also included the killing of a woman in South Carolina, the Washington Times reported.
“After speaking to Samantha Burns’ parents, I believe it is my duty to speak on their behalf and say President Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences for the two men convicted in her brutal murder is horribly misguided and insulting,” Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent who is retiring from the Senate, posted on social media.
“Particularly since Samantha’s family wrote letters to President Biden & the Department of Justice, pleading for them not to do this, but their concerns were unheard,” he added. “I can’t imagine the grief that Kandi and John Burns are reliving and dealing with during the holiday season.”
In the final days of his presidency, Biden used his executive authority to commute the sentences of Brandon Basham, Chadrick Fulks, and 35 other federal death row inmates to life imprisonment.
The outgoing president explained that his decision was aimed at preventing President-elect Donald Trump from resuming federal executions, which had been paused during Biden’s administration. All of the commuted inmates had been convicted of murder.
Biden left only three inmates on federal death row: the Boston Marathon bomber who killed three and injured hundreds, the gunman responsible for the racially motivated killings of nine people at a Charleston, South Carolina, church, and the perpetrator of the attack that killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the Times reported.
Manchin’s criticism of Biden is just the latest from a Democrat or former Democrat of the president and his vice president, Kamala Harris, after blowing through more than $1 billion and still losing badly to Trump.
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, who often discusses politics and current events on his show, said last week during an interview with Fox News host Mark Levin that he regrets voting for Harris.
The sports broadcaster and host of “First Take” appeared on the Fox News show “Life, Liberty, and Levin,” where the host asked him if he would consider changing his support for President-elect Trump.
“Quite possibly. I’m not going to sit up there and dismiss that anymore. I think we’re beyond that. He would have to prove a lot, Mark. And I’m not talking about policy now,” Smith responded.
“I voted Democrat, and I got to tell you something right now. I don’t like the fact that I did. I don’t like what I’m seeing,” Smith explained.
Ana Kasparian of “The Young Turks” podcast, a fierce progressive who has moderated her political views in recent years, exploded during a segment last week when co-host Cenk Uygur suggested that Harris could be elected governor of Kasparian’s home state of California.
“I think Kamala Harris would probably win in a cakewalk for governor,” “The Young Turks” founder and co-host Cenk Uygur said.
“No! No!” Kasparian shouted. “What are you doing? What are you doing?”
“I’m telling you the reality, whether you like it or not,” Uygur said. “Democratic voters in California love to obey.”
“I’m gonna move, Cenk! I’m gonna quit my job,” Kasparian responded. “I’m gonna quit my job, and I’m gonna move.”
She then took what appeared to be a thinly veiled jab at current Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“This state cannot survive another incompetent Democrat leading it,” Kasparian responded. “No, we just can’t.”
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
