Trump says he's considering pardoning thousands of people
- Alayna Treene, author of Axios Sneak Peek
Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images
On Friday, ahead of the G7 summit in Canada, Trump told reporters that he's considering pardoning thousands of people, signaling that the next on his list may be deceased boxer Muhammad Ali.
What he's saying: "The power to pardon is a beautiful thing .... We are looking at a list of 3,000 names," said Trump. "... If we find those people have been unfairly treated, we'll let them out." He added that he gets a "bigger thrill" by pardoning people who aren't famous, like Alice Johnson, and thanks Kim Kardashian West for bringing her to his attention. Go deeper: Lock her up and let him out... Trump’s approach to justice
Shortly after, Muhammad Ali's attorney, Ron Tweel, released a statement responding to Trump's remarks:
“We appreciate President Trump’s sentiment, but a pardon is unnecessary. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Muhammad Ali in a unanimous decision in 1971. There is no conviction from which a pardon is needed.”