Trump names Alice Marie Johnson as 'pardon czar' during Black History Month event
- Alice Marie Johnson, who received a pardon from Trump in 2020, has been appointed as the "Pardon Czar".
- Johnson will advise the President on clemency cases, particularly those involving nonviolent offenses.
Alice Marie Johnson named "Pardon Czar" by President Trump.
On Thursday during a celebration for Black History Month at the White House, Trump announced Johnson's appointment. The role is similar to one she held at the end of Trump's first term where she advised the president on cases where people deserved clemency.
Johnson is set to advise Trump on cases where people convicted of nonviolent crimes were not likely to be handed down, much like her own.
Johnson was convicted in 1996 and served more than 20 years in prison for a first-time, non-violent offense for cocaine distribution and money laundering before Trump commuted her sentence in 2018. The president learned of Johnson's case after meeting with reality television star turned criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian.
Johnson later spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention on the president's behalf. Trump issued Johnson a full pardon a day after her RNC speech.
White House celebration features political, civil-rights leaders
Guests joining Trump in the East Room included Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.; Rep. John James, R-Mich.; Scott Turner, secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Brooke Rollins, secretary of Agriculture; prison reform advocate Alice Johnson, whom he pardoned in 2020; Alveda King, niece of slain civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King; and golfer Tiger Woods.
Every president since Gerald Ford in 1976 has issued a proclamation recognizing Black History Month. Trump's proclamation highlighted the significance of Black Americans.
“Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country's most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways," it read.
Trump said his priorities of strengthening border security, providing job security through tariffs on imported goods and reducing federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency are shared goals with Black Americans. He noted that a similar event during his first term attracted only about five Black people compared to the cheering, standing-room crowd that chanted "four more years" at one point.
"I said is anybody else coming. Is this it? Are we open?" Trump said of his first term. "That's all changed. One of the reasons I'm president today is because of the Black vote."