Office to plead the case of a alice marie johnson, the grandmother and firsttime nonviolent drug offender who was serving a life term in prison. One week later, johnson was freed after spending 21 years behind bars. Just a little while ago, Kim Kardashian west sat down with our very own van jones to talk about the cause that brought them together. Ant her husband can yes west and about what happened when she broke the news to Alice Johnson. First of all, congratulations on the big when, but also just thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Second of all, how did it feel to make the phone call to let ms. Alice johnson know that it was over, she was coming home . Well, i was on set of a photo shoot in new york. And once i got the call from the president on my cell phone and i knew it was happening and it was 100 happening and a press release was written and it was about to go out. So i called her and i let her know, its 100 happening. The paperwork is signed. The ink is on the paper. Lets get alice on the phone. And you had assumed that the attorneys had already told her. And then alice gets on the phone. We call her, she was paged. To come to the phone. Ion side the prison. Inside the prison. She gets on the phone and i think she thought it was a routine phone call with her attorneys. And she was surprised and excited that i was on the phone. And then i was a little bit shocked because she was very calm. And i had assumed she knew. So i was just like wait, she doesnt know . And alice is like know what . And i was like youre going home. Like i can cry thinking about. Hearing her scream was like i know im going to cry so much when i see her. But just to know that we changed one persons life. You know . Is like, we cried maybe on the phone for, like, three minutes straight. Everyone was just trying. Crying. I have to get it together. Thats all right. I understand. Its emotional. People dont understand. I mean, i think people might think oh, kim went to the wous, had this conversation, it was done and thats it. I saw this seven months ago, and i have been daily phone calls with the white house. Maybe a dozen mails a day trying to get letter, letter from the warden. I mean, i have to give credit to where alices whole team has been work on this for year ps. I mean, i did step in late in the game. So i dont want to take away what i mean, youve been working on this for three years. Everyone has brought attention to this case. Anticipate i just happened to see it on twitter. So i do want to give credit where credit is due to everyone thats been working so hard on this for so long for her. Its just an easy thing to get done to your point. Her family has been fighting for a long time. It was a really good team. I reached out to ivan ka. How it all happened was i reached out to ivanka. I said i know you have compassion for women like this. I explained her story. She immediately got it and felt it. She connected me with her husband, Jared Kushner, and he has really been amazing. He listened to her story, would always ask for more deill thats and more paperwork and letters. And he was, like, on top of it. What was it about this case that just grabbed you . Well, i do think theres something to, i had happened to be on twitter at that exact moment. I just really fell for her. You felt that shes a good person. She lost her longtime job, got a divorce, her son died. Just all of her everything was going so bad for her and she got desperate. And she had four other baby she is had to take care of. And she was desperate. And she made choices that i feel honestly, you know, maybe not to that extreme, but when youre in a desperate situation, youll do whatever you have to do to take care of your kids. And i know that i would do anything for my kids. Anticipate so i just felt this connection to her. I wanted to help her. You got ivanka trumps phone number. It must have felt like hey, listen, i eave got to do something. The meeting with President Trump, thats a whole other level. How did that happen . When i initially called ivanka. That took about six or seven months to get. And so once we got our file really strong we were able to plan a meeting. And it happened to be on alices birthday. The stars are all aligned. The stars are in our favor. I just feel that this is the right day to do it. So you go in. We go in thats crazy. For normal people, Kim Kardashian going into the trump white house. The west wing. The oval office. I have to say, i never get star struck. I was star struck over the oval office. That oval office is so powerful. I just i literally had to take a second and take it all in and just inside this is not a movie set. Yeah. Like it was it really felt powerful and felt like you can just feel the history in there. I had just a second to take it all in. And then we talked about it. Youre not a republican. How do you make sense of that. You guys dont agree politically. How did you handle that . I think you for me i was very focused. I knewicnt go in and talk about all the policies i dont agree with. And ive always had a very open dialogue with jared about how i felt. Trump is the last person i would have thought was do this, he did and he pulled through. I knew there would be tons of backlash. I knew people wouldnt understand it. At that point, i had to make the decision that this was bigger than me. So im worried about my brand . And a womans been in jail for 22 years almost . That to me, it wasnt even a question. I would have taken the backlash no matter what the outcome would have been, just to try for her. And im glad it worked out, obviously. Its just really amazing to hear you say that. I mean, you dependent know her. Why did you feel that this was worth taking that kind of risk. A lot of celebrities are scared to take a picture with donald trump. A lot of athletes wont go in the bidding. Why did you make a different choice . I still respect their choice. I never judge other people. And i do think sometimes situations are different. But i just am focused. And i could separate my feelings on certain policies. To me it wasnt about policies. It was about, i can change someones life. And if i have the doesnt to do that. Just indulge me for a minute. What did you say . Did he get up, shake your hand, hug you . Give me something that i can work with. I have med him before. Before he was the president a few times. So it was a hug. And sat down and he was like okay. So whats going on . Why are we here . We started the meeting. I did take a second to say like wait a minute, were in the oval office. He said why are you here . I said really im here because i want to know why you kicked kloe off the apprentice. He felt it, he was compassionate. He was sympathetic to her. He said, you know, thisst a really long time that shes been in here. This just isnt fair. He knew that this was the right thing to do. And he said that from the start. After he had heard her whole story and situation. And he knew it was the right thing to do. And he said that and he was really honest with it. And he wanted to make it happen. So you said President Trump actually called you . Yes. So youre sitting there, the phone rings. It says donald trump. What happens . No, it says unknown. And i remember i was on the phone with my husband and i said babe, ive got to call you back. And it was the secretary on the line that said she had the president on the phone. I knew it had to be some news. I was always really hopeful. I was feeling things were looking really positive. But that week after the meeting, youre just literally on pins and needles waiting to hear whats going on. So yeah, he called my cell phone. And what did he say . He said that hes really investigated this case and spoke to her warden, spoke to just everyone. And everyone had a unanimous from the people that he reached out to unanimous feeling of alice that she will live a great life and she will is this she has dope her time, been such a model person in prison. Shes never had any, like, in. Fractions on, you know, behavior or anything almost impossible in prison, by the way. Yeah. I mean, she yeah. Anticipate she became an ordained minister. She got so many degrees. She just knowing that shes never going to get out, but she is still so amazing and is working on herself the whole time shes there. No good deed goes unpunished. You go in there, get this victory. Some people are very skeptical. Theyre like, im just going to throw them you tell me whos right and whos wrong. Number one, this whole thing is just a pr stunt for you. Youre a master media person and you know how to get Media Attention and this is just a way for you to get attention for yourself. True or false . Thats very false. I mean, i could literally walk outside and it will be some ridiculous store are i. Youre not desperate for Media Attention. You dont have to do anything extra to get it . No, these days im trying to dodge it and stay away from it. But i have kids. And why would i spend my time away from my kids to fly in just for something for a pr stunt . To a lot of people was a risky move to take going. I wouldnt take that kind of pr risk. Gotcha. Number two, trump is using you as a political pawn. So now youre sort of youve endorsed him in a way. You given him legitimacy. You might be in a campaign video. He used you. I think kanye has already given him legitimacy. So in that way. So i dont think i would be used. You know . And at the end of the day, he heard me out. We got the job done. Can yes cosigned and said he loves his personality and loves him. And it was very, very separate. Like, you know, can ykanye knew i was doing and work on it ahead of time. So yeah, when i hear that and ive heard that, it doesnt really faze me. I also people like why dont you talk to him about this and about, you know, immigration. You do care about that . I care about that. But i just have to stay focused and know that if theres the only person in the world that could have done this for her, why wouldnt i go talk to that person . If i had the opportunity to . If i am the voice that goes in and tries to i mean, theres over 3,000 people in this same exact situation as alice. It doesnt mean that were going to stop here. Kim kardashian west might surprise a lot of people with what she said there. Van, thank you so much for joining us. And airing the interview here. Of course, the rest of it is going to run on your show this weekend. Ive got to be honest, addressed head on. You know, combined with her husbands advocacy for President Trump is controversial to a lot of their people and their fans. Weve been tough on him on this show, as have a lot of other people and gave her credit for going and doing what she did. But she was quite open about it. She didnt shy away from it. Its interest, she doesnt agree with the. Youve been tough on the president. Kim kardashian has been tough on the president. Shes quoted as saying her daughter could run the country better. Yet when it came down to a human life, she was willing to set that aside and figure out how to get Alice Johnson home. Alice johnson, of course, is a force of nature. Now that shes home, shes going to continue the fight. Some positive things have started to happen. Some dominos falling. You have to give Kim Kardashian some credit. When you have that kind of a platform, shes got 120 million enstra gram followers. Shes got more instagram followers than some countries got people. If she decides to make this a part of her life now, fighting for positive causes, i think you have to give her the credit. As you were saying that, its interesting you said shes been tough on the president. I mean, you know, just because youre tough on someone, it doesnt mean you dont want them to succeed. Im wondering if theres a bl s lesson in here for the president of the United States to work with people who dont agree with him to do good things. It seems like there should be some sort of lesson for him here. I think there should be and there could be. For whatever reason, this issue of criminal justice reform, prison reform, and partds seems to have become a Common Ground issue, a bipartisan issue. It used to be a marginali issue. Now it seems the only issue that even a pelosi and a trump can sometimes agree on. And you have Jared Kushner in there whos been doing a good job of pushing the issue forward. His father went to prison so he has some sensitivity there. And then you have organizations out there like cut 50 and you have organizations, young attorneys, we talked about last night. We have young attorneys out there, reilike Brittany BarnettJessica Jackson sloan. And helped with this. I want to ask you, get back to that. Would you encourage other celebrities. S you know, this president loves celebrity. Do you encourage other celebrities to get things done in this country and work with him even if they dont agree with him . For the people at the bottom, were talking about people who are locked up in prisons, people who are suffering poverty. People who are addicted and cant get free, i think on those Common Ground issues we have to come together and get something done. Just because we get something done on those issues doesnt mean we cant fight tooth and nail on 999 other issues. I think were talk about people who dont have a voice at all. I think on those issues weve got to be able to come together and get something done. Nice job, van jones. And Kim Kardashian. Give credit where credit is due. Hope she continues to do it. I said this saturday, its actually next saturday that it airs. Thank you, sir. The entire interview, Kim Kardashian west on van jones, saturday night june 16th at 7 00 eastern only here on cnn. Make sure your tune in. When we come right back, Rudy Giuliani and what the first ladys spokesperson said tonight. Trust me, its an epic burn. Because theyll never get a Second Chance to see their first concert. Early ticket access to thousands of shows every year. Another way we have your back. The powerful backing of american express. Dont live life without it. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens brown paper packages tied up with strings these are a few of my favorite things when did you see the sign . When i needed to jumpstart sales. Build attendance for an event. Help people find their way. Fastsigns designed new directional signage. And got them back on track. Get started at fastsigns. Com. Remember what he said about Melania Trump leabelieving her husband and not Stormy Daniels . She believes in her husband. Its not true. I dont even believe theres a slight suspicion when you look at Stormy Daniels. I know donald trump and look at his three wives, right . Beautiful women, classy women, women of great substance. Stormy daniels . Geez. Well, the fist ladys spokesperson delivering an effortless smackdown today. This is a quote. I dont believe mrs. Trump has r d ever discussed her thoughts on anything with mr. Giuliani. Rud . Wrong. Lets bring in our panel. Rick wilson worked or giulianis senate campaign. I hate to throw this word around, molly, good evening to all of you, by the way. I hate to throw this word around, but that was some shade, epic clapback right there from the first ladys office, isnt it . It can certainly be read that way. I honestly also read it as a simple fact. It is well known to pretty much everyone in the white house that Rudy Giuliani is freelancing. He is not coordinating his message with anybody else. He isnt, in fact, talking to the first lady. Hes just saying whatever floats into his head. And its actually become a sort of parlor game among people in and around the white house about whether there is a grand plan here. Or if hes just kind of shooting his mouth after. I mean, our cover story in Time Magazine this week is about the Public Relation strategy thats paralleling the legal strategy and that giuliani is in charmg of. He all but toll us explicitly, this is an insurance policy against impeachment. Were just going to say a lot of stuff that puts doubt into peoples minds. Here im talk act the mueller probe, but i say this, too. Hes going to say a lot of stuff. Do you remember when he said a lot of stuff about the Stormy Daniels payment then maybe it was true maybe it wasnt . Hes just muddying the water, clouding the air and its on purpose. Chris, that stopped giuliani, didnt it . No, it did not. Giuliani spoke to dana bash admitted that he had never talked to melania about Stormy Daniels, the first lady. But giuliani stands by what he said. Heres what he told dana bash. Yes, i believe she knows him well enough to know this one is whats the word . Fakakta . Why would giuliani double down speaking on behalf of the first lady, chris . I believe hes broadly freelancing and its a pr strategy designed to sway Public Opinion and in particular the trump base Public Opinion, not broad scale Public Opinion. I think the reason why he would double down, don, is because he hasnt heard anything negative from the president of the United States about it. Outside of that first rudys new, we need to get his facts straight. That first smackdown about Stormy Daniels payments from donald trump to Rudy Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani has said a um until ber of things i thought donald trump is not going to be happy about that. Or donald trump may just say out the door you go. We havent heard anything like that. And why . Because what strategy is Rudy Giuliani following . The one that donald trump has made famous. Say as many things as possible, see what stick, see what your base responds to, and go with those. 13 angry democrats, witch hunt, hoax. Its a strategy that works and one that we know donald trump likes. Rick, im wondering if its doing more harm than good for the president now. Hes kind of like, hes become a funn