Last month, President Donald Trump tweeted that he is “responsible for Criminal Justice Reform” because he signed the FIRST STEP Act into law. Yet focusing on the president’s signing of a piece of legislation that even its most avid supporters describe as “small” and “incremental” hides his true record. The full scope of this administration’s actions on criminal justice demonstrate that Trump is no reformer. He has rolled back virtually every meaningful reform effort from the previous administration and has doubled down on pursuing harsh punishments, frequent arrests, and more incarceration—the same policies that led to and perpetuated mass incarceration.
This infographic demonstrates the reality of President Trump’s actions on criminal justice reform.
Ed Chung is the vice president for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center for American Progress. Lea Hunter is a research assistant for Criminal Justice Reform at the Center.