California Governor Gavin Newsom has moved to turn all 548 death sentences in the state into life in prison without parole. On Saturday 14 November 2026, US President Donald Trump attacked the decision and wrote that he hopes it will be overturned.
No one is being released, and no conviction is erased. For those whose commutations take effect, the move removes the legal basis for executions that a 2019 pause had only held back.
Key Facts
—Decision. Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, announced on 5 November that he will commute all 548 death sentences to life without parole, with 382 needing a California Supreme Court recommendation.
—Reaction. President Trump called it a “disaster for Justice in America” and wrote that he hopes it is overturned.
—Who decides. Clemency, the power to reduce sentences, belongs to California’s governor, and for people with more than one felony the state Supreme Court must recommend it. The president’s clemency power covers federal offences only.
—Not freed. Everyone stays in prison, convictions stay, and nobody becomes eligible for parole.
—As of. 14 November 2026, 23:30 GMT.
A governor’s power to soften sentences is separate from a president’s, and that is why Trump’s protest and Newsom’s order sit on different legal tracks. Newsom leaves office on 4 January 2027.
What Newsom Announced
Newsom’s office announced on 5 November 2026 that he is using his constitutional clemency power to commute every California death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. A commutation changes a sentence to a lesser one, and here the 548 people (529 men and 19 women) remain behind bars.
The governor’s office says the action does not pardon anyone, does not change the underlying convictions and leaves restitution orders to victims in place. The people covered are also excluded from new state parole-board rules on commutation and resentencing.
The California Constitution adds a check for some cases. For the 382 condemned people convicted of more than one felony, Newsom has asked the California Supreme Court, the state’s highest court, for the recommendation that Article V, Section 8 requires.
What Trump Said
Trump posted on Truth Social, his own social network, on Saturday 14 November. He wrote that halting the death penalty for “all 563 California Death Row inmates” is “a disaster for Justice in America” and called the people involved “some of the worst cold blooded murderers to have ever lived on the face of the Earth”.
He added that the victims’ families are “rightfully, devastated” and wrote, “Hopefully this decision will be overturned!” His figure of 563 differs from the 548 people the governor’s office counts as currently under sentence of death.
Why Only California Can Reverse It
California’s Constitution gives the governor the power to grant pardons and commutations, and the governor’s legal statement calls that power “plenary” and “exclusive”, citing earlier California court rulings. The state Supreme Court’s role is limited to the recommendation for repeat felons.
The US Constitution gives the president a pardon power for “offenses against the United States”, which means federal crimes. Trump’s post does not say how a reversal would happen, and we found no filing by any party challenging the commutations.
Why It Matters
California’s last execution took place on 17 January 2006. The 2019 moratorium, Newsom’s order halting executions, paused them but did not change any sentence.
The commutation turns that pause into a lasting change for those covered. It also moves the argument from a temporary policy to a legal act that Trump and other critics can challenge in court.
What It Means for You
For American readers, this is a test of how far a single state governor can go on the nation’s most contested punishment. It also shows a federal-state split that recurs in US politics, where the White House can criticise but not direct state clemency.
Victims’ families in California may be notified by the state’s victim services office, which the governor’s office says is contacting those directly affected. Readers elsewhere should expect the debate to play out in California’s courts and in public argument, not in Congress.
What Is Not Known
It is not yet known how the California Supreme Court will respond on the 382 cases that need its recommendation, or how long it will take. We did not find an official date for that decision.
It is also unknown whether anyone will bring a legal challenge, and whether Trump’s federal government has any step in mind beyond his post. The 382 repeat-felony cases wait for the court’s recommendation before they change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Trump reverse Newsom’s decision?
Not directly, because California’s Constitution gives clemency over state sentences to the governor. The president’s pardon power covers federal offences.
Is anyone being freed from death row?
No, because the sentences change from death to life in prison without parole. Convictions and restitution orders stay in place.
How many people are covered?
The governor’s office counts 548 people under sentence of death, 529 men and 19 women. Trump’s post cited 563, which does not match that count.
Why does the California Supreme Court have a role?
The state Constitution requires its recommendation for a governor to commute the sentence of someone convicted of more than one felony. Newsom has asked for it for 382 people.
Sources
Office of the Governor of California, announcement, 5 November 2026 · Governor’s fact sheet on the commutations · Governor’s explanatory statement to the California Supreme Court · President Donald Trump, post on Truth Social, 14 November 2026 · California Constitution, Article V, Section 8 · US Constitution, Article II, Section 2
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