Alice Marie Johnson, a criminal justice reform advocate who spoke at the Republican National Convention, retorted that she is not a “prop” or “puppet” following a Politico tweet, the Hill reported.
Johnson delivered a speech Thursday commending President Donald Trump for his criminal justice reform efforts. She also thanked him for commuting her prison sentence which was being served for participating in the leadership of a multi-million dollar cocaine trafficking ring in the 1990s. Politico’s tweet, which was taken from a reporter live chat on the news outlet’s website, said that Johnson has “been propped up as one of the prominent beneficiaries of the terms of the First Step Act.”
Alice Johnson, a key player in Trump’s criminal justice reform push, delivered her RNC address tonight.
She’s been propped up as one of the most prominent beneficiaries of the terms of the First Step Act. Kim Kardashian played a role in her prison releasehttps://t.co/tPyezt8iQP
— POLITICO (@politico) August 28, 2020
“What amazes me about the things that are being said is that another former prisoner spoke at the [Democratic National Convention] last week, and she was not called a prop for choosing to speak there, yet I don’t have the choice to speak where I want to,” Johnson said during an interview on “Fox & Friends.”
“I’m not a prop, and I’m not a puppet. I make my own choices as to what I’d like to do,” Johnson added later, according to the Hill.
Trump issued a full pardon to Johnson on Friday, less than a day after her speech. (RELATED: President Donald Trump Grants Full Pardon To Alice Marie Johnson)
“We’re giving Alice a full pardon. We are going to do it right now,” Trump told reporters.
The Politico tweet was criticized by some Twitter users for using the phrase “propped up.”
“Propped up”
This is a disgusting racist headline. https://t.co/KJwE6CMOGJ
— Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) August 28, 2020
.@Politico‘s bitter and desperate partisanship on full display today.
Alice Johnson is no one’s prop.
How dare you disrespect this amazing and powerful woman.
You reveal yourselves in your derision.
How petty, small, and pathetic you are. https://t.co/IIHNCErj78
— Nan Hayworth, M.D. (@NanHayworth) August 28, 2020
“My Christian faith and the prayers of so many kept hope alive,”Johnson said in her Thursday speech. “When President Trump heard about me, the injustice of my story, he saw me as a person, he had compassion and he acted. Free in body, thanks to President Trump, but free in mind thanks to the almighty God.”
Alice Marie Johnson, the former prisoner whose sentence was commuted by President Trump, praises him for taking action on her case and signing criminal justice reform: “God bless President Trump” https://t.co/xM5Y49x2IL pic.twitter.com/8pGgxmdSf8
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 28, 2020