Trump Commutes Meth Dealer Son’s Sentence Amid Crime
President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of James Womack, son of Arkansas Republican Rep. Steve Womack, a longtime Trump ally, on January 17, 2026. Womack had pleaded guilty in 2023 to distributing more than five grams of methamphetamine and was serving an eight-year federal prison sentence. The White House cited humanitarian factors including James’s mother’s cancer diagnosis and his brother’s seizure disorder, along with his clean prison record.
The commutation contradicts Trump’s public tough-on-crime stance, particularly as his administration simultaneously conducts aggressive crackdowns on drug-related offenses and immigration violations. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended recent ICE raids targeting what she called “criminal illegal aliens,” while Trump has publicized the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as evidence of his drug enforcement commitment. Rep. Womack publicly thanked Trump for the “gracious and thoughtful action” the day after the commutation.
Trump’s pardon activity this week extends beyond Womack. The president also pardoned Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini, who faced bribery and wire fraud charges tied to former Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced, whom Trump also pardoned. Herrera’s daughter donated $2.5 million to the Trump-aligned super PAC MAGA Inc. during the 2024 election cycle, though White House officials stated the donation played no role in the pardon decision. Trump additionally re-pardoned Adriana Camberos, convicted of running a multimillion-dollar grocery scam, after previously pardoning her for selling counterfeit 5-hour Energy shots.
White House pardon czar Alice Marie Johnson, herself pardoned by Trump in 2020, announced Friday that the president pardoned 21 people during the week. Trump’s pattern of clemency favoring political allies contradicts his administration’s stated commitment to law enforcement and demonstrates unequal application of justice based on political proximity.
Senate Democrats have condemned the pardon wave as corruption and abuse of executive power. Senator Chris Murphy labeled the clemencies “bread-and-butter corruption” and criticized the president for issuing “audaciously politically toxic pardons” for individuals convicted of serious crimes including drug trafficking and fraud, underscoring the disconnect between Trump’s public rhetoric and his executive actions.