President Trump Pardons One of America's Most Important Women

Katie Pavlich | August 18, 2020 10:05 AM

President Trump announced Tuesday morning he will posthumously pardon women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony. Anthony was arrested and charged for voting in the 1872 presidential election. She was found guilty by an all-male jury. The pardon comes as the United States marks the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote and the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

"This was brought up a week ago, and I was so surprised that it was never done before. Later today, I will be signing a full and complete pardon for Susan B. Anthony. She was never pardoned," President Trump said from the White House. "She got a pardon for a lot of other women and didn't put her name on the list. She was never pardoned for voting. That's right; she was guilty for voting. We're going to be signing a full and complete pardon, and I think that's really fantastic."

"On this day in 1920, the United States ratified the 19th Amendment. It was a monumental victory for equality, for justice and a monumental victory for America," President Trump continued. "Today, a record-breaking 131 women are serving in Congress. Nearly 70 million women vote in elections. Fifty-six percent of our nation's college students are women. More than 11 million women own successful businesses. In other words, women dominate the United States. I think we can say that very strongly."