“This is awful”: Waleed Aly’s surprising criticism on The Project
It was a good news story despite the unusual circumstances.
After more than two decades behind bars Alice Marie Johnson was given a presidential pardon by US President Donald Trump.
The great-grandmother had been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of a first time non-violent drug offence in 1996.
The 64-year-old’s case came to the attention of President Trump after reality star Kim Kardashian visited the White House to plead on her behalf last week.
But on Thursday night’s episode of The Project, host Waleed Aly took a surprising stance to the good news story, instead slamming Kardashian’s involvement in Johnson’s pardon.
“She’s actually achieved nothing, she’s achieved something for one person in one case … I reckon this is awful,” Aly stated.
“You now have a president who effectively thinks he can do things by pardons. That’s the way he operates.
“Everything goes through him. I’ll just make a decision, ‘you’re saved, you’re not. You’re free, you go to hell.’ That’s the way it works [but] that the opposite of the way it’s supposed to work.”
Bickmore agreed with her co-host, observing Kardashian’s success showed our society’s “attachment to celebrity”.
“I feel for all the people who have been advocating on behalf of people for years … Kim just walks in, [and they decide] ‘OK, let her out’,” Bickmore said.
Although Kardashian’s meeting with Trump in the Oval Office was widely mocked on social media, she tweeted her happiness at Johnson’s pardon on Wednesday.
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