President Donald Trump retweeted reality television celebrity Kim Kardashian West's tweet Saturday asking for Alice Marie Johnson's clemency, raising questions about whether the president plans to follow through on the request.
Kardashian West visited the White House Thursday to personally advocate for the pardon of Johnson, 63, who has spent decades in jail for drug offenses.
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
Trump tweeted that he and Kardashian West talked about "prison reform and sentencing" during their visit in the Oval Office of the White House.
Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing. pic.twitter.com/uOy4UJ41JF
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
Kardashian West also met with Trump's son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner, to discuss his efforts on prison reform.
In an interview after her visit with Mic, Kardashian West said she felt the president listened to her concerns.
“I think that he really spent the time to listen to our case that we were making for Alice,” Kardashian West told Mic in an interview. “He really understood, and I am very hopeful that this will turn out really positively.”
“I went in ... to really talk to the president about Alice Johnson and really explain to him why she would be such a good person to grant clemency to,” Kardashian West told Mic. “The president seems to have a passion for what everything that Jared has been trying to do, and that just makes me happy that that conversation is just moving forward.”
The day after Kardashian West visited the White House, Trump made a presidential pardon -- but not for Alice. In a controversial -- and unexpected -- move, Trump granted a pardon to conservative author Dinesh D'Souza.
D'Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to making illegal campaign contributions. Trump said he pardoned D'Souza because he felt he was "treated unfairly."
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said there is "nothing to announce at this time" regarding the president's retweet Saturday morning.
