Former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell issued a two-sentence rebuttal to former first lady Michelle Obama’s claim that “white America” acts as if black women don’t exist.
“@realDonaldTrump saw Alice Johnson. @BarackObama didn’t see Alice Johnson,” Grenell tweeted Monday in response to a New York Post story headlined, “Michelle Obama says ‘white America’ acts like black women don’t exist.”
. @realDonaldTrump saw Alice Johnson. @BarackObama didn’t see Alice Johnson. https://t.co/71odJI5j85
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) September 1, 2020
Alice Johnson, who is black, was granted clemency in 2018 by President Trump after Kim Kardashian West lobbied for her release from prison over her involvement in a cocaine-trafficking organization in the 1990s. Johnson spoke at the Republican National Convention last week, lauding the president for his criminal justice reform initiatives.
“I was once told that the only way I would ever be reunited with my family would be as a corpse,” Johnson said during the Republican convention. “But by the grace of God and the compassion by Donald John Trump, I stand before you tonight, and I assure you, I am not a ghost. I am alive, I am well, and most importantly, I am free.”
Trump also granted Johnson a full pardon on Friday.
Obama said last week that black women, including herself, are ignored by white people and gave an anecdotal example about walking her dogs.
“When I’ve been completely incognito, during the eight years in the White House, walking the dogs on the canal, people will come up and pet my dogs but will not look me in the eye. They don’t know it’s me,” she said on The Michelle Obama Podcast.
“What white folks don’t understand, it’s like that is so telling of how white America views people who are not like them. You know, we don’t exist. And when we do exist, we exist as a threat. And that, that’s exhausting,” Obama added.
