Van Jones applauds Trump's 'pardon czar' pick Alice Johnson

Van Jones applauded President Trump for his appointment of Alice Johnson, a formerly incarcerated Black woman, to serve as the administration’s “pardon czar.”

Speaking to Donny Deutsch on the "On Brand" podcast Monday, Jones said Trump’s move is “huge.”

“Somebody who’s actually been incarcerated, been in the federal system, understands how the Department of Justice screws over people who should be coming home — some people who shouldn’t come home, but a lot of people that should come home and they get screwed by the pardon office. She will fix that,” Jones said. 

Johnson was previously incarcerated after entering the drug trade in the '90s. 

In 1993, Johnson was arrested, and by 1996 she was convicted of multiple offenses, including money laundering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and deliver structuring a monetary transaction and conspiracy to commit money laundering. 

In 1997, Johnson was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years.

During Trump’s first administration, Johnson won the support of reality star Kim Kardashian. Kardashian advocated before Trump on behalf of Johnson, and on June 6, 2018, Trump commuted Johnson’s sentence. On Aug. 28, 2020, he granted her a full pardon.

As Trump’s pardon czar, Johnson will recommend people for presidential commutations.

Jones and Trump have a mixed relationship. Though both have criticized the other, they worked together on criminal justice. 

During Trump’s first term, Jones collaborated with the administration on the First Step Act. The act allowed many incarcerated individuals who are nonviolent to earn earlier release.

Jones has said he has no regrets about working with Trump and stated he would work with the president again on criminal justice reform. 

“As somebody who has worked on criminal justice, as you know, for 30 years, having someone who’s a formerly incarcerated person in charge of going through all these pardons and making sure that people get a fair shot — I think that’s a very good thing,” Jones said Monday.