Trump says he might ‘pardon’ Muhammad Ali

Donald Trump said Friday that he’s considering a posthumous pardon for boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

He didn’t specify what the pardon would erase, but Ali’s only high-profile criminal conviction, for dodging the Vietnam War draft, was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1971.

‘He was not very popular then,’ the president told reporters as he left the White House for the G7 summit in Canada, but ‘he’s very popular now.’

‘I’m thinking about Muhammad Ali. I’m thinking about that very seriously. And some others,’ he said.

Donald Trump said Friday morning that famed boxer Muhammad Ali could be the next beneficiary of presidential clemency from the Oval Office

Ali, widely considered the greatest boxer in history, died in 2016; the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971 for dodging the Vietnam War draft

Ali, widely considered the greatest boxer in history, died in 2016; the Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971 for dodging the Vietnam War draft

Ali, already the heavyweight champion of the world, refused induction in the U.S. armed forces in April 1967 and was escorted to face criminal charges

Ali, already the heavyweight champion of the world, refused induction in the U.S. armed forces in April 1967 and was escorted to face criminal charges

Trump said the list of presidential clemency recommendations on his desk does not include O.J. Simpson, another high profile athlete who is far more politically radioactive.

He insisted that the power of the presidential pardon extends to himself, repeating his past claim that he has that ‘absolute’ ability in the Oval Office.

‘But I’ll never have to do it because I didn’t do anything wrong. And everybody knows it,’ he insisted.

Ali, pictured in 2005 receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, was convicted of draft-dodging after he cited his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War as reasons for refusing to serve in uniform

Ali, pictured in 2005 receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush, was convicted of draft-dodging after he cited his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War as reasons for refusing to serve in uniform

Trump did not say Friday whether there was another Ali-related conviction that he might wipe off the books, but Ali's record on the draft case has been clean since 1971, when the Supreme Court voted 8-0 to overturn his conviction

Trump did not say Friday whether there was another Ali-related conviction that he might wipe off the books, but Ali’s record on the draft case has been clean since 1971, when the Supreme Court voted 8-0 to overturn his conviction

Trump said Friday that he gets more pleasure from pardoning no-name convicts like Alice Johnson, the nonviolent first-time drug offender whom he freed this week following lobbying from reality TV star Kim Kardashian

Trump said Friday that he gets more pleasure from pardoning no-name convicts like Alice Johnson, the nonviolent first-time drug offender whom he freed this week following lobbying from reality TV star Kim Kardashian

Trump is still glowing from his pardon of Alice Johnson, a one-time nonviolent drug offender whose life sentence he commuted this week following lobbying from reality TV star Kim Kardashian.

The president said he’s most looking forward to using his power to free more people the public has never heard of.

‘That’s what I want to do. We have 3,000 names,’ he said, including many who ‘really have been treated unfairly.’

‘I get more of a thrill out of pardoning people who nobody knows. Like Alice.’

NOPE: The president said he's definitely not considering a pardon for O.J. Simpson, who is on parole following a prison term for armed robbery and kidnapping

NOPE: The president said he’s definitely not considering a pardon for O.J. Simpson, who is on parole following a prison term for armed robbery and kidnapping

 



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