Susan B. Anthony’s pardon is nothing more than a shallow attempt to gain votes

On the centennial of the 19th Amendment, Trump announced he’ll pardon suffragist Susan B. Anthony, a confusing move aimed at female voters.

On Tuesday morning, the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment granting (white) women the right to vote, President Trump announced he would grant Susan B. Anthony a full pardon.

For those who, like me, grew up in a state that did not teach women’s history in public schools, a quick history lesson. Susan B. Anthony was a leader in the first wave of feminism (before it was even called that), helping women gain the right to vote.

Anthony was a profound leader and thinker, drafting her own Angelica Schuyler-esque Declaration of Sentiments and working tirelessly to organize women around the country, including her good friend Elizabeth Cady Stanton, in support of suffrage.

This included her remarkable choice to vote in the presidential election of 1872 for Ulysses S. Grant, leading to her arrest for voting while female, sparking a new fire within the movement.

This is the particular action Trump has pardoned her for, but it’s peculiar considering the overall impact of her arrest was political rather than personal. She never served meaningful jail time and used the moment to draw more attention to the suffrage movement.

Indeed, Trump’s decision to pardon Anthony is odd for multiple reasons. For one, presidents typically pardon those who are still living. For another, Trump has never invoked or included anything remotely close to feminism in his campaign speeches or administration.

Anthony was not a perfect hallmark of feminism, mind you. Despite being an abolitionist, she advocated against the 15th Amendment, believing it would harm the suffrage movement.

But it is hard to read this act of clemency as anything more than a cheap bit of tokenism. What good does pardoning Susan B. Anthony, who has been dead for 94 years, actually do for anyone? There are plenty of people who are still alive and also deserving of pardons.

Compare the act of clemency as well to another sustainable initiative that requires funding–monuments and policy. There is still no national museum dedicated to women’s history. Additionally, there are plenty of historic sites that could be preserved through the National Park Service.

Furthermore, Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the day each year marking how long it takes for Black women, who earn $.62 on the dollar, to catch up to what a white man makes, was four days before. If Trump were truly committed to women’s equality, why not support the Paycheck Fairness Act?

Contrast this to President Obama who designated the Belmont-Paul House as a national monument in addition to publicly advocating for pay equity from the early days of his presidency. Both show a dedicated, concerted, commitment to women’s issues rather than a one-off photo op.

Of course, none of this is a coincidence. Yes, Trump announced Anthony’s pardon on the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, but it is also 77 days until the presidential election. In a time when 1,000 people are dying every day from the coronavirus, a mere 42% of Americans approve of the president, lower than any president in recent history.

A new CBS poll also shows that only 37% of women voters say they plan to vote for Trump while 53% plan to vote for Joe Biden. Making this announcement during the Democratic National Convention week seems to be a last-ditch effort to sway these voters, many of whom likely remember the Access Hollywood tape.

Add this on top of the fact that Trump is behind in the polls overall with a little more than two months to go to Election Day means that this is far from the last surface-level attempt to gain votes we will see from the President.

What do you think about the decision to pardon Susan B. Anthony? Tell us in the comments below!