WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s comment on Friday that he mightpardon boxing legend Muhammad Ali drew a prompt response from the lateheavyweight champion’s estate: thanks, but no thanks.
“We appreciate President Trump’s sentiment, but a pardon is unnecessary.The US Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Muhammad Ali in aunanimous decision in 1971. There is no conviction from which a pardon isneeded,” said Ron Tweel, a lawyer for the boxer’s estate and his widow,Lonnie.
Before leaving to attend the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump toldreporters he was considering pardoning some 3,000 people, including Ali,who died in 2016.
“I’m thinking about somebody that you all know very well, and he wentthrough a lot and he wasn’t very popular then,” Trump said. “His memory isvery popular now. I’m thinking about Muhammad Ali. I’m thinking about thatvery seriously.”
The boxer refused to be inducted into the US army in 1967 during theVietnam War, claiming conscientious objector status, and was sentenced tofive years in prison. He was never imprisoned while his case was underappeal and in 1971 the US Supreme Court overturned the conviction.
Tweel, reached by telephone at his home in Virginia, said the White Househad not contacted him or Lonnie Ali about a potential pardon. He said hehad been in contact with the widow after Trump’s comments and they decidedto issue a statement on behalf of the family.
“We heard what he was contemplating and it needed a response,” he said.
It was unclear why Trump would consider a pardon, given that Ali’sconviction was overturned. The White House did not immediately comment onthe lawyer’s statement.
Trump said many of the 3,000 people he was considering for pardons weretreated unfairly or given unfairly long sentences.