The president defended his decision by describing the couple’s sentencing as “pretty harsh treatment.” In a phone call to the couple’s children, he stated, “It’s a terrible thing, but it’s a great thing, because your parents are going to be free and clean.”

Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, further elaborated on the decision in a statement released the same day. He explained that the president is “always pleased to give well-deserving Americans a second chance, especially those who have been unfairly targeted and overly prosecuted by an unjust justice system.”