President Donald Trump was lauded by inner-city pa
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Trump told the group, which included pastors and bishops from across the country, that his administration has been making progress on efforts to make it easier for prisoners to re-enter society and find work.
"When we say hire American, we mean all Americans," Trump said.
Among those gathered was Darrell Scott, a black Ohio pastor who was an early supporter of Trump's campaign and has been working with the administration on urban and prison issues.
"This is probably the most pro-active administration regarding urban America and the faith-based community in my lifetime," Scott told the group, adding, "This is probably going be ... the most pro-black president that we've had in our lifetime."
He compared Trump to his predecessor, Barack Obama, the nation's first African-American president, and said: "This president actually wants to prove something to our community, our faith-based community and our ethnic community."
"The last president didn't feel like he had to," he added, saying of Obama: "He got a pass."
During his campaign, Trump accused Democrats of doing too little to help urban communities and often asked African-Americans what they had to lose by voting for him.
The White House has been focusing its criminal justice reform efforts on improving re-entry, rehabilitation and workforce training programs , instead of sentencing reform, which many advocates argue would make a bigger difference.
Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser, has been leading the effort, which has included lobbying Congress to pass a bill called the First Step Act.
The House passed the bill in May.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/tru...s-56972301