President Trump Names New Pardon Czar

President has selected Alice Johnson to be his “pardon czar.”

Johnson was granted clemency by Trump in 2018 over non-violent drug offenses she committed decades ago.

Trump stated, “You’ve been an inspiration to people, and we’re going to be listening to your recommendation on pardons.”

“You’re going to go over and you’re going to be — you’re going to, she’s going to be my pardon czar, okay? And you’re going to find people just like you that should not this should not have happened,” added Trump.

President Trump is making history again after appointing Alice Marie Johnson, a woman he pardoned during his first term, to be the first ever "pardon czar." pic.twitter.com/jwJsL5rQAB

— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 24, 2025

Per CBS:

President Trump is tapping Alice Johnson, the 69-year-old grandmother he granted clemency in his first term over long-ago drug offenses, to be his “pardon czar.”

The president made the announcement during a Black History Month event in the White House East Room Thursday afternoon. Johnson spent over 21 years in prison for nonviolent drug-related crimes when Mr. Trump commuted her sentence and she was released in 2018. Mr. Trump later issued her a full pardon.

“You’ve been an inspiration to people, and we’re going to be listening to your recommendation on pardons,” Mr. Trump told Johnson on Thursday. ” You’re going to go over and you’re going to be — you’re going to, she’s going to be my pardon czar, okay? And you’re going to find people just like you that should not this should not have happened. It should not have happened. So you’re going to look and you’re going to make recommendations, and I’ll follow those recommendations, okay? For pardons. All right?”

Mr. Trump said Johnson was “in prison for doing something that today probably wouldn’t even be prosecuted.”

TRUMP NAMES ALICE JOHNSON NEW PARDON CZAR.pic.twitter.com/AO3cnE6gJa

— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 24, 2025

Per Newsweek:

President Donald Trump has appointed the grandmother he pardoned during his first term as his new “pardon czar.”

Trump announced Thursday during a Black History Month event held at the White House that he would tap Alice Marie Johnson, who spent over 21 years in prison for nonviolent crimes, for the role.

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Johnson, who became a well-known justice reform advocate after Trump granted her clemency in 2018, would be the first person to step into the position of a “pardon czar.” The term “czar” is informally used to describe a U.S. official tasked by the president with overseeing specific policy issues. Trump has also appointed a border czar, an energy czar, and an AI and crypto czar.

President Trump is tapping Alice Johnson, the 69-year-old grandmother he granted clemency in his first term over long-ago drug offenses, to be his "pardon czar." https://t.co/ksgq6kaYxV

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 21, 2025