Washington, DC – Former White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin has raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s remarks on executing individuals while serving as president. Griffin revealed in a recent podcast that Trump openly discussed the idea of executing people at various meetings during his presidency.
Griffin’s disclosure has sparked discussions about the potential for political retribution if Trump were to be re-elected. She recounted an incident where Trump suggested that a staffer who leaked information should be executed, following reports of the former president seeking shelter in a secure bunker during the George Floyd protests.
Despite not having direct authority to enforce capital punishment, the president has the power to appoint key officials who oversee federal capital punishment decisions. Rumors of Trump’s interest in executions have circulated for years, with reports of him contemplating methods such as firing squads, hanging, and the guillotine.
During his first term, the Trump administration accelerated federal executions, with 13 federal prisoners being executed by lethal injection in the final three months. Trump’s former attorney general, Bill Barr, hinted at a continued use of the death penalty if Trump had won a second term in office.
Griffin’s claims have been loosely corroborated by Barr, who recalled Trump’s anger towards a White House bunker leaker. While Barr could not confirm if Trump explicitly called for an execution, he acknowledged the possibility of such discussions taking place.
Griffin left her position in the White House in December 2020, following Trump’s loss in the election. She has since become a commentator for CNN and co-host of the NBC talk show The View. The revelations made by Griffin shed light on Trump’s stance on executions and raise questions about the potential implications of his return to office.