Alice Johnson Opens Up About 'Moment of Shock' After Being Pardoned By Trump
Alice Johnson, whose life sentence for drug offenses was just commuted by President Trump, said reuniting with her family upon being freed from prison was a “moment of shock.”
“Just to see my family there — my heart was leaping,” the 63-year-old grandmother said on the TODAY show Thursday morning.
Johnson had served 21 years of her life sentence after she was convicted on multiple criminal counts related to cocaine possession in 1996. Trump commuted her sentence Wednesday after a recent meeting with Kim Kardashian West, who recently visited the White house to discuss Johnson’s case and a possible pardon.
So grateful to @realDonaldTrump, Jared Kushner & to everyone who has showed compassion & contributed countless hours to this important moment for Ms. Alice Marie Johnson. Her commutation is inspirational & gives hope to so many others who are also deserving of a second chance.
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) June 6, 2018
Video footage of Johnson leaving prison shows her running across the street and jumping into her family’s arms. Her daughter, Catina Scales, said on TODAY it was unbelievable Johnson was sitting there right next to her.
“My heart was leaping,” Alice Johnson tells @hodakotb and @savannahguthrie about reuniting with her family after two decades in prison pic.twitter.com/4V9C5ud8UV
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 7, 2018
“I keep pointing out stuff like, ‘There’s the sunrise in Memphis, ma,'” Scales said. “It’s just been amazing.”
After Johnson was released from prison, Trump tweeted that he hopes she has “a wonderful life.”
Good luck to Alice Johnson. Have a wonderful life!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2018
Johnson’s commutation comes amid a series of pardons issued by Trump, including one for the conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza, who was convicted for campaign finance violation, and the late boxer Jack Johnson, over a century after he was convicted on a racist charge.