Trump signed a modest criminal justice reform bill in 2018. I mentioned the other night that I think part of the reason to feature so many black people is to appeal to white moderate voters and even conservative white voters who want the party not to be cast as racist. I think that electoral dynamic in part explains this focus on Joe Ponder. But criminal justice reform is one of those issues which the GOP has long been trying to use to demonstrate centrism and also appeal to Black people.
