A Tale Of Two Trumps: Clemency For Some, Death For Others In His Drug Policy Approach
U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week that he has appointed Alice Marie Johnson, a Tennessee woman whose drug-related life sentence he commuted in 2018, as his “pardon czar.” The move comes as Trump simultaneously calls for the death penalty for drug dealers, creating a striking contrast in his approach to criminal justice.
A Redemption Story Turned Policy Role
Alice Johnson, a Tennessee grandmother and first-time nonviolent offender, spent more than two decades in prison before being granted clemency by Trump in 2018, following high-profile advocacy from Kim Kardashian. In 2020, she received a full pardon, and since then, she has been an outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform.
Trump made the announcement at a Black History Month reception at the White House, roughly four weeks after he returned to office. He stated that Johnson would advise him on cases where pardons were warranted. Trump praised Johnson’s transformation, saying, “Alice was in prison for doing something that today probably wouldn’t even be prosecuted.”
A Hardline Stance On Drug Crimes And Unclear Cannabis Policy
While Trump is elevating a former drug convict to oversee pardons, he is simultaneously …