Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

The Other Trump-Kim Summit

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

All right, so the summit with North Korea's leader is still up in the air, but President Trump did have a meeting with Kim of a different ilk. The reality TV star Kim Kardashian West paid a call to the White House yesterday. She is pushing for clemency for a 63-year-old inmate named Alice Johnson, who has served more than 20 years in federal prison on drug-related charges.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Yeah. In an interview with the online news site Mic, Kardashian West said she was moved to action after stumbling upon a viral video the publication produced about Johnson's case.

(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO, "KIM KARDASHIAN WEST: HER FIGHT TO FREE ALICE JOHNSON")

KIM KARDASHIAN WEST: You get life without the possibility of parole for your first-time nonviolent offense. There's just something so wrong with that.

MARTIN: Johnson is now a great-grandmother. And in that video, she told Mic that she committed the crime after losing her job and running out of money to support her family.

(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO, "MISS ALICE IS SERVING LIFE FOR A NONVIOLENT OFFENSE")

ALICE JOHNSON: I went into a complete panic, and out of desperation, I made one of the worst decisions of my life to make some quick money. I became involved in a drug conspiracy.

GREENE: OK, the reality star's meeting with the president is the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes lobbying to get this case before President Trump. She is also pushing for broader prison reform. The White House is now reportedly reviewing Johnson's case. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.