Kim Kardashian-West joined Jimmy Kimmel Live for an interview on Monday to talk about getting Alice Johnson’s life sentence commuted via a presidential pardon. The reality TV star was advocating for the release of Johnson after reading her story on Twitter.
“I was at a Steven Klein photo shoot… if anyone knows who he is it’s pretty much a nude shoot,” Kim said on the ABC program. “So I’m naked and I’m all glammed up and I’m like get me a robe!”
Kim then details how she took the call from the shoot and soon after let Johnson know that a pardon would be on its way following an oval office photo opp that Kimmel jokes was the “happiest day” of his presidency.
“Did the president know you were in a robe and nothing else? Because he probably would’ve released the whole prison if you told him that,” Kimmel joked on his Monday broadcast.
The 63-year-old Johnson had already served more than 20 years in prison and was expected to serve a life sentence for a first-time cocaine trafficking offense. Kim K says it only took a week to get Johnson’s sentence commuted which could be partly done to her husband Kanye West’s support of President Trump.
Kardashian-West has since backed away from criticizing the president as she admits she does have a longer list of potential pardons that she wants to be done. At the same time, she acknowledges that she doesn’t agree with Trump on many issues.
Despite what looks like a win on its surface, some have argued that presidential pardons are not the route to take and we should rather be seeking a complete overhaul of the flawed prison system.
Trump would much rather flex his pardon power as he has reportedly enjoyed pardoning convicted people.
Trump’s first pardon and probably his most controversial was Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona who was charged for ignoring court orders following a discrimination case related to racial profiling of Latinos in Arizona.
