Kim Kardashian West says she thinks Trump's starting to change his mind about cracking down on drug dealers and giving them the death penalty
- Kim Kardashian West said she believes President Donald Trump is changing his mind on his tough stance toward drug dealers.
- She pressed Trump at the White House two weeks ago to get him to commute the life sentence of 63-year-old Alice Johnson, who was convicted of non-violent drug crimes in the 1990s.
- Kardashian West said when she spoke with Trump about Johnson's case, she "saw compassion" from him.
Kim Kardashian West, who recently helped secure the freedom of 63-year-old Alice Johnson, said she believes President Donald Trump is starting to change his attitude toward non-violent drug offenders serving lengthy prison terms.
Last Wednesday, Trump commuted Johnson's life sentence, just one week after Kardashian West made a well-publicized trip to the White House to press Trump in person for the clemency.
"I hope maybe this inspires more people to talk to the people in power that you can have an effect over them for the greater good of other people," Kardashian West said in an interview alongside Johnson with NBC News' "Today" show.
Johnson's commutation was a remarkable about-face from Trump, who spent much of his 2016 campaign using tough-on-crime rhetoric. Trump even recently proposed executing drug dealers responsible for trafficking large quantities of drugs.
When asked about Trump's view on drug dealers, Kardashian West said Trump had displayed empathy when she spoke with him about Johnson's case.
"I think his mind is being changed already," she said. "To me, I saw compassion."
Johnson agreed with Kardashian West, and said she intends to keep working on the issue of criminal-justice reform and clemency for prisoners serving similar sentences.
"I can't stop. I can't stop," Johnson said. "I've lived it. I've walked with 'em. I have cried with 'em. My life is completely intertwined forever with those who were left behind. So it can't end here."