Back in 2016, Kanye West met with Donald Trump during the then-president-elect’s fraught transition from reality TV blowhard to leader of the free world.
Fans of West’s were surprised, but not terribly stunned, as the visit seemed to have less to do with politics than with the shared worldview of two of America’s most infamous egomaniacs.
In recent weeks, Kanye has doubled-down on his support of Trump, alienating many of his fans in the process.
West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, has hinted that she’s not fully on board with her husband’s politics (Kim supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 campaign)
Yes, it seems Kim is a firm believer that there are some things that are bigger than politics.
Which is why she’s setting aside her differences with the Donald in service of an important cause.
It was confirmed today that Kim will pay a visit to the White House today in hopes of securing a pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, a 62-year-old great-grandmother who’s currently serving a life sentence at the Aliceville Correctional Facility in Alabama.
Johnson — a first-time, non-violent offender — was sentenced in 1997 on money laundering and drug conspiracy charges.
Normally, appealing to Trump for clemency would be the ultimate long-shot, but those who are well-acquainted with the case say there’s a good chance that Kim’s plea might be successful.
Ivanka Trump has expressed her belief that Johnson should be pardoned, and Kanye’s support of the president has reportedly put Kim in good standing with Trump.
Along with attorney Shawn Holley, Kim has been campaigning for Johnson’s release for quite some time.
Holley has stated that she believes today’s sit-down with Trump represents Johnson’s best chance yet at being pardoned.
Last year, Marie wrote a heartfelt thank you note to Kim, in which she stated her belief that the two of them are part of “a defining moment in history.”
“THE BATTLE IS ON!” her missive concluded.
Difficult as it is to believe, it seems Ivanka is not Kim’s only ally within the White House, as Jared Kushner has been quietly working toward more lenient sentencing and improved prison conditions, citing America’s sky-high incarceration rate as one of its greatest shames.
We’d credit Kush for breaking with the rest of the administration by demonstrating an ounce of human compassion, but he may have been acting out of semi-selfish motives.
Jared’s father, Charles Kushner, was released from prison in 2006 after serving a two-year sentence for tax evasion, witness tampering and making illegal campaign donations.
And let’s face it — Jared might soon be following in the elder Kush’s footsteps.
But the important thing today is that Kim is dedicating her time to a truly worthy cause, thus adding to the list of charitable deeds that’s consistently ignored by her haters.