Trump reopens the debate on the death penalty: pushes for the firing squad in the United States while the case of the armed attack in Washington advances

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced its intention to reintroduce the firing squad as a method of execution in the federal system, in compliance with an order promoted by President Donald Trump. The measure is part of a broader package aimed at strengthening the application of the death penalty in the country.

According to the DOJ, the new guidelines seek to streamline executions once the condemned have exhausted their legal remedies. Among the measures, the recovery of the lethal injection protocol applied during Trump's first term and the incorporation of alternative methods such as firing squad stands out, with the aim of expanding the available options.

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, has defended these decisions assuring that they aim to “do justice to the victims” and act as a deterrent against the most serious crimes. Furthermore, he has criticized the previous stage, pointing out that capital punishment was not applied with sufficient firmness in cases of high gravity.

This debate comes after the recent execution by firing squad in March 2025 in South Carolina, the first in 15 years in the United States. Since 1977, this method had only been used in Utah, although it is currently contemplated in five states as an alternative in certain circumstances.

In parallel, federal authorities are investigating the attempted armed attack that occurred this weekend in Washington during a dinner of the White House Correspondents' Association. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was arrested after being subdued near the event which Donald Trump himself was attending.

According to the Secretary of Justice, Jeanine Pirro, Allen faces two charges for use of a firearm and one for assault against a federal agent with a dangerous weapon. Authorities indicated that he was carrying a shotgun, a pistol, and several knives, and that he would have acted alone with the intention of causing the greatest possible harm.

The case has reactivated the debate about capital punishment in the United States, especially given the possibility that, if he is convicted of federal crimes of maximum gravity, Allen could face the death penalty under the new protocols that the Department of Justice of the United States is studying. Meanwhile, the FBI continues to investigate his motivations and background in California, where he resided and worked as a teacher and video game developer.