Advertisement

Kim Kardashian says she’s ‘hopeful’ after meeting with Donald Trump

Click to play video: 'Kim Kardashian says she’s hopeful about pardon for Alice Marie Johnson'
Kim Kardashian says she’s hopeful about pardon for Alice Marie Johnson
WATCH: Kim Kardashian says she's hopeful about pardon for Alice Marie Johnson – Jun 5, 2018

Kim Kardashian visited the White House on May 30 where she reportedly asked for the pardon of 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who is serving a life sentence in an Alabama prison.

She says she feels “hopeful” after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, about prison reform.

“Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you,” Kardashian tweeted about Johnson before the meeting. Johnson has been behind bars for more than 20 years.

Story continues below advertisement

READ MORE: Kim Kardashian to meet Donald Trump at White House to discuss prison reform

After her visit to the White House, the reality star tweeted, “I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.”

She added: “We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson’s future and hopeful that she — and so many like her — will get a second chance at life.”

Story continues below advertisement

Trump tweeted a photo of himself and Kardashian in the Oval Office. “Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing,” he captioned the photo.

READ MORE: Kanye West shocks with slavery remark: ‘400 years? That sounds like a choice’

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

During the White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wouldn’t provide further details on who Kardashian was meeting, only saying, “She is expected to be here at the White House. I can confirm she’ll be here. We’ll keep you posted on any meetings that take place and what those look like.”

WATCH: White House confirms Kim Kardashian visit

Click to play video: 'White House confirms Kim Kardashian visit'
White House confirms Kim Kardashian visit

Johnson’s story was first brought to Kardashian’s attention via Twitter, and she previously told Mic that she’d been “in communication with the White House” to also make them aware of her.

Story continues below advertisement

She explained, “[I’m] trying to bring her case to the president’s desk and figure out how we can get her out. That’s such a huge step from where we started with that not even being on their radar. If you think about a decision that you’ve made in your life and you get life without the possibility of parole for your first-time non-violent offence, there’s just something so wrong with that.”

Johnson is currently serving life behind bars at the Aliceville Federal Correctional Institution in Alabama.

The meeting took place following two American criminal justice developments at the White House over the last few weeks.

READ MORE: Kim Kardashian slams Donda’s House co-Founder Rhymefest for saying Kanye ‘abandoned’ Chicago

First, Trump granted a posthumous pardon to former boxing heavyweight champion Jack Johnson — the first black man to achieve that status — after his great-great niece and movie star Sylvester Stallone submitted pleas.

Story continues below advertisement

Secondly, the House approved the First Step Act, a legislative proposition of Kushner’s, which allows more prisoners to serve sentences in halfway houses and funds support programs to prevent recidivism.

According to the Prison Police Initiative, 2.3 million Americans are currently being held in correctional facilities, and 1 in 5 of those incarcerated people are locked up for drug offences.

—With files from Chris Jancelewicz

Sponsored content

AdChoices