Donald Trump took time out from bashing his attorney general Jeff Sessions and making the Roseanne Barr racism storm all about himself to meet Kim Kardashian West and discuss the justice system.
Traversing the whole gamut of notable Kims – the president is seeking to solve a nuclear crisis with a potential meeting with Kim Jong-un soon – Trump met the fellow reality TV star in the White House on Wednesday, where she is reported to have asked for Alice Marie Johnson to be pardoned. Johnson is a 63-year-old grandmother who is serving a life sentence for a first-time non-violent drug offence.
Following the meeting, Trump tweeted a picture of the pair inside the Oval Office. He captioned it: “Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing.”
It is unknown exactly what was discussed during the meeting but afterwards Kardashian West tweeted her thanks to the president and said she hoped Johnson would be freed.
She wrote: “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.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Kim Kardashian arrives for meetings at the White House. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters
Vanity Fair magazine first reported Kardashian West was due to speak to Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Kardashian West is thought to have been involved in private discussions with Kushner and Ivanka Trump for several months.
Johnson is serving a life sentence without parole after being convicted of drug-related charges in 1997.
An online petition to grant clemency to Johnson, started by her daughter, currently has more than 250,000 signatures.
Kardashian West’s husband, Kanye West, has drawn criticism for his support of the president, and was pictured wearing a cap bearing the slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’, a phrase associated with Trump.
Earlier this month, Trump pardoned the heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson, who was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act for transporting a woman across state lines for “immoral purposes”.
Washington (CNN) Kim Kardashian West met with President Donald Trump and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, at the White House on Wednesday to discuss prison reform.
"Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing," the President tweeted following the afternoon meeting, posting a picture alongside a stoic Kardashian West in the Oval Office.
Kardashian West, who wore a black suit with bright yellow stilettos, was spotted leaving the White House with a small entourage about an hour after she arrived.
She departed in a black Chevrolet SUV parked inside White House grounds, a surprising level of access and courtesy. VIP guests of the White House usually are required to walk through a gate to board their vehicles. Though she did not roll down her windows to greet a gaggle of cameras awaiting her departure, an aide in the front seat was seen recording the reporters on a phone.
During the White House press briefing Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders wouldn't provide further details on who Kardashian West 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."
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Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Kardashian arrives at the White House on an overcast afternoon
Kim Kardashian West has met President Donald Trump to discuss a potential pardon for a 63-year-old great-grandmother who is serving life in prison.
Alice Marie Johnson has been behind bars for more than two decades for a first-time drug offence.
Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has also been speaking with Mrs Kardashian West about the case for months.
President Trump tweeted that they had a "great meeting".
Why is Kim Kardashian involved in the case?
Johnson's story first caught the reality television star's eye after she saw a short video about the case posted on social media.
Mrs Kardashian West was moved to ask her longtime personal lawyer, Shawn Holley, to take a look at the case and is paying for a new legal team for Johnson.
The reality television star was also able to join forces with Mr Kushner, a senior adviser to the president who has been pushing for federal prison reform.
Mr Kushner's First Step Act, which allots $50m (£38m) for rehabilitative programmes for inmates, passed in the US House of Representatives last week.
According to Johnson's daughters, the process has sped up considerably since Mrs Kardashian West's involvement.
Wednesday is also Johnson's birthday, which Mrs Kardashian West noted in a tweet this morning.
On the meeting with Mr Trump, Mrs Kardashian West said she was hopeful Johnson would get a "second chance at life".
Skip Twitter post 3 by @KimKardashian 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. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 31, 2018 Report
Skip Twitter post 4 by @KimKardashian We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson’s future and hopeful that she —and so many like her—will get a second chance at life. — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) May 31, 2018 Report
Image copyright Courtsey CAN-Do Clemency Image caption Alice Marie Johnson
Who is Alice Marie Johnson?
Johnson was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1996 for a first-time, non-violent drug offence. She was convicted of being a "telephone mule", relaying messages between drug distributors and sellers.
According to her family and supporters, Johnson has been a model inmate who is active in many programmes, including work in the prison hospice. She fitted all of the criteria for former President Barack Obama's Clemency Project 2014, but was denied just days before the end of his term.
"This is the last time I'll put my family through the heartache of expectations," Johnson told the BBC at the time.
Despite that, Mrs Kardashian West's interest appears to have revitalised the effort.
Amy Povah, the founder of CAN-DO Clemency, has been advocating for Johnson's release since 2014 and says she has helped collect signatures from 70 organisations who support the pardon, as well as a letter of support from the retired warden of Johnson's prison.
All of that material may be submitted to President Trump.
"She's always stood out to me as being exceptional," says Ms Povah. "She's not bitter or angry, she's this ray of sunshine."
What happens next?
The pardon process is entirely up to the president's discretion, and it is unknown at this point whether he plans to announce a decision to coincide with Mrs Kardashian West's visit.
Johnson's daughters remain hopeful that - at least for their family - the long wait may soon be over.
"We are praying for mercy in my mom's case… that this nightmare is finally coming to an end," Tretessa Johnson told the BBC.
What has the reaction been?
Many on social media have been critical of Mrs Kardashian West's unlikely role as a prison reform advocate and say there are thousands of cases that deserve closer examination.
Some have questioned her credentials to speak on the subject, suggesting there are more qualified people who should have met Mr Trump.
But others have pointed to previous examples of celebrities meeting political leaders and accused Mrs Kardashian West's critics of displaying double standards.
Skip Twitter post by @StephenKitching I don't really get how Kim Kardashian visiting Trump about prison reform is any different to Bono/Geldof/whoever meeting politicians about their policy interests. — Stephen Kitching (@StephenKitching) May 31, 2018 Report
There have also been accusations of sexism aimed at those who have derided the meeting.
"If this was Leonardo DiCaprio or George Clooney... nobody would bat an eyelid," one Twitter user wrote.
Skip Twitter post by @GrantTucker Also, if this was Leonardo Dicaprio or George Clooney going in for a meeting about the environment nobody would bat an eyelid. Snobbery and sexism at its finest. — Grant Tucker (@GrantTucker) May 31, 2018 Report
North West refuses to believe that her beautiful mama Kim Kardashian has been transformed into a Disney princess! Youtuber and makeup artist Kandee Johnson teamed up with her bestie Kim Kardashian to bring one particular Disney princess to life! Did you like the new look on Kim? Let us know in the comments below!
KIM Kardashian has met with the President Donald Trump at the White House to make a high-profile case for prison reform and advocate on behalf of a grandmother who’s serving a life sentence for drug offences.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star arrived at the White House on Wednesday afternoon local time to meet with Jared Kushner — President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser — who also oversees the administration’s push to overhaul the nation’s prison system.
It’s understood she reached out to Ivanka Trump, who put her in contact with her husband.
In a meeting which reportedly lasted “less than an hour”, the reality TV star urged President Donald Trump to pardon Alice Marie Johnson, 63, who has spent more than two decades behind bars and is not eligible for parole.
Kim Kardashian has left the White House.
Less than an hour here. https://t.co/XrcVCoxrr5 — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 30, 2018
According to US media reports, Johnson’s conviction stemmed from her role in a multimillion-dollar drug ring that dealt thousands of kilograms of cocaine.
The New York Daily News also mocked the meeting with a fairly brutal front page and headline which read: “The Only Kim He Could Get.”
An overrated reality TV star met with Kim Kardashian https://t.co/aFly7MJdnU
Here's a look at Thursday's front... pic.twitter.com/3bAQo8ezDE — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) May 31, 2018
Afterwards, Mr Trump tweeted a fairly awkward photo of himself and Kardashian in the Oval Office.
Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
Within seconds, the bizarro photo of this meeting of the minds became the talk of Twitter:
Show this tweet to someone in 2014 and their head would explode. https://t.co/QPaWOzF6em — Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) May 30, 2018
America. Officially eaten itself. https://t.co/0Qv7pNoasx — Latika M Bourke (@latikambourke) May 30, 2018
This is America pic.twitter.com/9RBpzviDIL — Darren Hayes (@darrenhayes) May 30, 2018
OK, let's recap:
Donald Trump is president.
Kim Kardashian is heading to the White House to discuss policy.
A Russian journalist dead yesterday turns up at a presser today.
North Korea won't give up nukes but will open a burger chain as consolation.
The day isn't half over. — Peter Daou (@peterdaou) May 30, 2018
Kim Kardashian is speaking politics in the White House with Donald Trump. We have reached the end. 🤦🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/HELzkGCn3v — Saun Jones (@KeSaunJ) May 30, 2018
It’s really nice of Kim to check up on Melania. https://t.co/Idm0s5z8zG — Alex Anastassiou (@alexanasta_) May 30, 2018
from les deux to the oval office, a lot changes in a decade! pic.twitter.com/E4oGwByvwM — popculturediedin2009 (@pcd2009) May 30, 2018
please stop tweeting that photo — Calvin (@calvinstowell) May 30, 2018
Kardashian is one of the very few celebrities who have visited the White House since Mr Trump took office in 2016. She was seen posing for photos in front of the West Wing before entering the room.
In an interview with the website Mic, Kardashian said she had been incredibly moved by Johnson’s story, after seeing a video by the news outlet on Twitter.
She reached out to her longtime personal lawyer, Shawn Holley, to ask him to look at the case and is paying for a new legal team for Johnson.
Just last week, the president granted a rare posthumous pardon to boxing’s first black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson’s name more than 100 years after what many saw as his racially charged conviction.
The pardon had been championed by actor Sylvester Stallone, who called Mr Trump personally to discuss the case.
WHO IS ALICE MARIE JOHNSON?
Alice Marie Johnson was convicted in 1996 on eight criminal counts related to a Memphis- based cocaine trafficking operation involving more than a dozen people. The 1994 indictment describes dozens of deliveries and drug transactions, many involving Johnson.
She was sentenced to life in prison in 1997, and appellate judges and the U.S. Supreme Court have rejected her appeals. Court records show she has a motion pending for a reduction in her sentence, but federal prosecutors are opposed, saying in a court filing that the sentence is in accord with federal guidelines, based on the large quantity of drugs involved.
A criminal justice advocacy site, CAN-DO, and one of Johnson’s attorneys say a request for clemency was rejected by former President Barack Obama. The reasons are unclear.
A 1997 Associated Press story on Johnson’s sentencing said she headed up a multimillion-dollar drug ring. But Memphis attorney Michael Scholl, who filed the latest court documents in her request for a sentence reduction, said she was not a leader in the cocaine operation.
“What is the purpose of putting a lady with no prior criminal record, on a nonviolent drug offense, in jail for her entire life?” he said in a telephone interview. “She’s a model inmate.” Scholl added that Johnson has admitted her wrongdoing, which is borne out in letters she has written to U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays, who now oversees her case.
“Judge Mays I’m writing to you to express my deep remorse for the crime that I committed over 20 years ago. I made some bad choices which have not only affected my life, but have impacted my entire family,” she said in a February 2017 letter in the court record.
- with Wires
