President Barack Obama called several aspects of the death penalty “deeply troubling” Thursday during an interview with The Marshall Project in which he also said he planned to speed up pardons and commutations and recalled moments when he suspected he had been racially profiled by police officers.
Asked by Editor-in-Chief Bill Keller if he was close to saying he is against capital punishment, Obama said that he was still struggling to resolve his own conflict. He said racial bias, wrongful imprisonment and botched executions had unsettled his long-held belief that the death penalty is appropriate for some heinous crimes.
“At a time when we’re spending a lot of time thinking about how to make the system more fair, more just, that we have to include an examination of the death penalty in that,” the president said. He has asked the Justice Department to conduct a review of the practice.
The discussion occurred Thursday ahead of a White House discussion on criminal justice reform with Obama and law enforcement leaders and moderated by Keller.
Obama also said he planned to pick up the pace of pardons and clemencies as he heads to the end of his second term.
Asked if he had ever been harassed by police, Obama spoke about traffic stops that left him wondering why he was pulled over.
“The times where I’ve gotten a ticket, the overwhelming majority I deserved it,” Obama said. “There have been a couple of times where I was not issued a ticket and it raises the question as to why I was stopped.”
Also on HuffPost:
Obama Visits The 50 States
Alabama(01 of50)
President Barack Obama (second from left) and U.S. Rep. John Lewis (left), a Democrat of Georgia and one of the original marchers, sing as they lead a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches in Selma, Alabama, March 7, 2015. Obama rallied a new generation of Americans to the spirit of the civil rights struggle, warning their march for freedom "is not yet finished." In a forceful speech in Selma, Alabama, on the 50th anniversary of the brutal repression of a peaceful protest, America's first black president denounced new attempts to restrict voting rights. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Alaska(02 of50)
President Barack Obama talks with military personnel upon arrival on Air Force One at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska, November 12, 2009. Obama was on an eight-day trip to Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, his first visit to the region as president, with a brief stop in Alaska to meet with U.S. troops. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Arizona(03 of50)
President Barack Obama is greeted by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey at Sky Harbor International Airport, March 13, 2015, in Phoenix. Obama is making a first-time visit to the Arizona veterans' hospital that triggered a national examination into how the government cares for its former service members to get an appraisal on the health system's progress and its lingering needs. (credit:Jacquelyn Martin/ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Arkansas(04 of50)
President Barack Obama speaks with resident Daniel Smith during a tour of tornado-damaged areas May 7, 2014 in Vilonia, Arkansas. Obama was surveying rebuilding efforts after tornados in the region. (credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
California(05 of50)
President Barack Obama smiles before boarding Marine One helicopter from a field overlooking the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, on April 4, 2013. Obama was in California to attend two DCCC fundraising events. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Colorado(06 of50)
President Barack Obama plays a game of pool with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (center) at a local pub in Denver, Colorado, on July 8, 2014. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Connecticut(07 of50)
President Barack Obama talks with Northeastern U.S. governors at that time before having lunch at Cafe Beauregard in New Britain, Connecticut, March 5, 2014. Seated alongside Obama were Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (left), Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (center-right), Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (right), Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Delaware(08 of50)
President Barack Obama announces new national infrastructure initiative at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, in front of the I-495 Bridge, which was undergoing substantial structural repairs, on July 17, 2014. The new initiative at the U.S. Department of Transportation sought to encourage private investment in infrastructure projects such as repairing roads and bridges. (credit:Jessica Kourkounis via Getty Images)
Florida(09 of50)
President Barack Obama walks on the Anhinga trail during a visit to Everglades National Park in Homestead, Florida, on April 22, 2015. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Georgia(10 of50)
President Barack Obama (right) greets people outside Manuel's Tavern after an interview March 10, 2015, in Atlanta, Georgia. Obama traveled to Georgia for the day where he spoke to students about affordable schooling. (credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
Hawaii(11 of50)
President Barack Obama has shave ice with friends at Island Snow in Kailua on January 1, 2015. (credit:NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)
Idaho(12 of50)
President Barack Obama greets supporters after speaking on the economy at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, January 21, 2015. Obama is traveling on a two-day, two-state trip to Idaho and Kansas following his State of the Union address. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Illinois(13 of50)
President Barack Obama is briefed about an electric car by researcher Henning Lohse-Busch as he tours the Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois, on March 15, 2013, before speaking on American energy. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Indiana(14 of50)
President Barack Obama (left) and Vice President Joe Biden select items from a display case during an unannounced visit to Gingerbread House Bakery November 23, 2010, in Kokomo, Indiana. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Iowa(15 of50)
President Barack Obama greets guests after speaking about increasing access to high-speed and affordable internet at Cedar Falls Utilities in Cedar Falls, Iowa, January 14, 2015. The town of Cedar Falls has built its own private high-speed internet network and runs it like a public utility. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Kansas(16 of50)
President Barack Obama talks with Akira Cooper during a visit to a classroom at the Community Children's Center, one of the country's oldest Head Start providers, in Lawrence, Kansas, January 22, 2015. Obama was on the second day of a two-day, two state trip to Idaho and Kansas following his State of the Union address. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Kentucky(17 of50)
President Barack Obama addresses troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, May 6, 2011, after he met and decorated the "full assault force" behind the clandestine raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a White House official said. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden held a series of closed door meetings with special operations troops, then decorated the entire force handing out Presidential Unit Citations, the highest unit award he has the power to grant. (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
Louisiana(18 of50)
President Barack Obama speaks at the Port of New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 8, 2013. Obama arrived in New Orleans to discuss the importance of taking measures to grow the economy and create jobs by increasing U.S. exports. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Maine(19 of50)
In this image provided by the White House, President Barack Obama (second from left), first lady Michelle Obama (right), and daughters Sasha Obama (left) and Malia Obama hike on Cadillac Mountain on July 16, 2010, in Acadia National Park, Maine. The president and his family were spending a weekend vacationing in Bar Harbor, Maine. (credit:The White House via Getty Images)
Maryland(20 of50)
President Barack Obama (left) sits beside his brother-in-law Craig Robinson while attending the Green Bay versus Princeton women's college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament, March 21, 2015, in College Park, Maryland. President Barack Obama's niece Leslie Robinson plays for Princeton. (credit:MIchael Reynolds/Pool via Getty Images)
Massachusetts(21 of50)
President Barack Obama greets well-wishers before boarding Air Force One at Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station in Massachusetts on August 24, 2014, as he departs Martha's Vineyard. (credit:NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)
Michigan(22 of50)
President Barack Obama is accompanied by Congressman Gary Peters as he orders lunch at Zingerman's on April 2, 2014, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Obama arrived in Michigan to speak on raising the national minimum wage. Obama unveiled a proposal to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 (7.35 euros) an hour in his State of the Union address in January as he set about closing income disparity -- an increasingly important theme in U.S. politics. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Minnesota(23 of50)
President Barack Obama greets law enforcement officers after speaking at the Minneapolis Police Department Special Operations Center on February 4, 2013, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Obama was promoting a ban on assault weapons and expanded background checks on gun buyers. (credit:Ben Garvin via Getty Images)
Mississippi(24 of50)
President Barack Obama (left) poses with a local while enjoying a snow cone following a roundtable discussion with local residents on June 14, 2010, in Gulfport, Mississippi. Obama implored Americans to visit the beaches of the southern Gulf coast, as the lucrative tourism industry fears a hammering over the BP oil disaster. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Missouri(25 of50)
President Barack Obama (center) looks at a large soda at Arthur Bryant's Barbecue in Kansas City, Missouri, before having dinner with four local residents July 29, 2014. Pictured is Mark Turner (left), Victor Fugate (second from left), Valerie McCaw (second from right) and Becky Forrest (right). (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
Montana(26 of50)
President Barack Obama holds 7-month-old Matthew Ian Clark, from Bozman, Montana, following a town hall meeting on health insurance August 14, 2009, in a hangar at Gallatin Field Airport in Belgrade, Montana. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Nebraska(27 of50)
President Barack Obama is greeted by a military personnel as he arrives at at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 13, 2012. (credit:YURI GRIPAS via Getty Images)
Nevada(28 of50)
President Barack Obama speaks about his executive action on U.S. immigration policy at Del Sol High School on November 21, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Obama outlined a plan to ease the threat of deportation for about 4.7 million undocumented immigrants. (credit:Ethan Miller via Getty Images)
New Hampshire(29 of50)
A woman hugs President Barack Obama after he spoke on energy policy and the economy at Nashua Community College, in Nashua, New Hampshire, March 1, 2012. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
New Jersey(30 of50)
President Barack Obama greets troops after addressing an audience of armed forces December 15, 2014, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Obama thanked the troops for their service and marked the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan. (credit:Mark Makela via Getty Images)
New Mexico(31 of50)
President Barack Obama (left) shakes hands with employees at Barelas Coffee House September 28, 2010, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (credit:TIM SLOAN via Getty Images)
New York(32 of50)
President Barack Obama tapes an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" in New York on May 4, 2015. (credit:NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)
North Carolina(33 of50)
President Barack Obama smiles while watching a project of a seventh grade students as he tours Mooresville Middle School in Mooresville, North Carolina, on June 6, 2013. Obama arrived in North Carolina as part of his Middle Class Jobs (credit:JEWEL SAMAD)
North Dakota(34 of50)
President Barack Obama (center) talks with Native American performers as he sits with first lady Michelle Obama (right) during the Cannon Ball Flag Day Celebration in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, June 13, 2014. (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
Ohio(35 of50)
President Barack Obama walks past coils of steel as he arrives to speak on the economy at the ArcelorMittal Cleveland steel mill in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 14, 2013. (credit:JIM WATSON via Getty Images)
Oklahoma(36 of50)
City of Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis (left) points something out to President Barack Obama as they visit a tornado-affected area on May 26, 2013, in Moore, Oklahoma. Obama was in the Oklahoma City area to survey damage from the tornado that struck a week ago and meet with victims and first responders. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Oregon(37 of50)
President Barack Obama greets customers prior to sitting down with U.S. military veterans at the Gateway Breakfast House in Portland, Oregon, July 24, 2012. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
Pennsylvania(38 of50)
President Barack Obama speaks to a crowd at TechShop Pittsburgh about technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in manufacturing June 17, 2014, in Pittsburgh. (credit:Jeff Swensen via Getty Images)
Rhode Island(39 of50)
Amanda Roeder holds up a "Death by Chocolate" cake for President Barack Obama at Gregg's Restaurant and Pub on October 31, 2014, in Providence, Rhode Island. (credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
South Carolina(40 of50)
President Barack Obama arrives to answer questions during a town hall event at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, March 6, 2015. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
South Dakota(41 of50)
President Barack Obama puts on a jacket given to him after speaking during a commencement ceremony at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, South Dakota, on May 8, 2015. (credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
Tennessee(42 of50)
President Barack Obama (second from right), Vice President Joe Biden (right) and Lonnie Love (center) of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, talk over a 3-D printed Shelby Cobra during a tour of Techmer PM in Clinton, Tennessee, on January 9, 2015. Techmer produces color and additive solutions for the plastics and fiber industries. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Texas(43 of50)
President Barack Obama (second from left), first lady Michelle Obama (second from right) and Rep. John Lewis (right) tour the great hall of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library with Mark Updegrove, director of the LBJ Presidential Library, on April 10, 2014, in Austin, Texas. Obama was attending a Civil Rights Summit to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (credit:BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images)
Utah(44 of50)
President Barack Obama tours a solar array at Hill Air Force Base in Utah on April 3, 2014. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Vermont(45 of50)
President Barack Obama (right) greets supporters upon arriving in Burlington, Vermont, on March 30, 2012. Obama was on a day trip to Vermont and Maine to attend campaign events. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Virginia(46 of50)
President Barack Obama jumps down from the stage during a campaign rally at Byrd Park October 25, 2012, in Richmond, Virginia. With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, Obama and his GOP opponent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, were crisscrossing the country attempting to sway voters in all-important swing states. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
Washington(47 of50)
President Barack Obama greets a group of people upon arriving at Boeing Field / King County International Airport in Seattle, Washington, on July 22, 2014. Obama arrived in Seattle to attend Democratic National Committee and Senate Majority PAC events. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
West Virginia(48 of50)
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden attend a memorial service for the 29 men killed on April 5, 2010, in the worst U.S. mining disaster in decades, at the Beckley-Raleigh Country Convention Center in Beckley, West Virginia, on April 25, 2010. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
Wisconsin(49 of50)
President Barack Obama points to the audience after speaking during Laborfest 2014 at Henry Maier Festival Park on September 1, 2014, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Obama again called for the raising of the minimum wage. (credit:Tom Lynn via Getty Images)
Wyoming(50 of50)
President Barack Obama and his daughter Malia walk on the boardwalk to watch the eruption of the Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming on August 15, 2009. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
Support HuffPost
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.