Trump's contradictory messaging on crime during RNC has critics puzzled

John Ponder, Donald Trump, and Jamie Ponder.
(Image credit: Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty Images)

President Trump's pardon of Jon Ponder, a convicted bank robber who founded a non-profit organization that helps formerly incarcerated citizens, during the Republican National Convention Tuesday night received mixed reviews. On the one hand, observers noted that Ponder's story is a truly inspiring one that could go a long way with undecided voters. On the other hand, some viewers accused Trump of using Ponder's pardon as a "political prop."

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.