Trump, With Sylvester Stallone Alongside Him, Pardons Jack Johnson

  • Pardon comes hours after summit with Kim Jong Un canceled
  • Johnson pardon had been pushed by boxers and Rocky actor

Jack Johnson

Source: Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive via Getty Images

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President Donald Trump granted a full, posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, who was convicted of racially tinged federal morals charges more than a century ago.

Three hours after canceling a landmark summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and minutes after rolling back major parts of the Dodd-Frank law, all while markets swirl over possible import tariffs on foreign cars, President Trump took a moment to account for what many Americans now consider a racist overreach by the government.