How Kim Kardashian Feels About Kanye West's Meeting with President Donald Trump

The Yeezy designer is heading to the White House to discuss criminal justice reforms

By Lena Grossman Oct 11, 2018 1:20 AMTags
Watch: Kim Kardashian Talks Kanye West's White House Visit

Kim Kardashian is standing by her husband Kanye West ahead of his meeting on Thursday with President Donald Trump.

Kardashian spoke with E! News' Zanna Roberts Rassi at Tiffany & Co.'s Tiffany Blue Book Collection on Tuesday night where the reality TV star discussed her husband's upcoming trip to the White House. The New York Times reported that Kanye would meet with President Trump and his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner to discuss employment initiatives for former convicts. 

The KKW beauty entrepreneur told E! News she is "proud" of her husband's ambitions and tête-à-tête with the president. "He has a really focused mission of what he wants to talk about, and I think the White House is really receptive to his ideas," she said.

According to Kardashian, a large part of Kanye's ideas revolve around inner-city Chicago, his home town. "That's a place that's close to Kanye's heart," she explained.

On Sept. 18, Kanye announced he would be moving to Chicago and "never leaving again."

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Kim Kardashian & Kanye West's Cutest Photos

Similar to President Trump's "America First" policies, Kanye's concepts involve keeping his fashion manufacturing in the United States. "He wants to talk about building local factories for his clothes and shoes and getting formerly incarcerated men and women to work at the factories," Kardashian told E! News. "I know that's really important to him."

The Keeping Up with the Kardashian mom has had her own sojourns to the White House and made appeals to President Trump. On May 30, Kardashian traveled to the White House and talk to the president about pardoning 62-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who was service a life sentence on a drug trafficking charge. She told E! News after the meeting, "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. We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson's future and hopeful that she—and so many like her—will get a second chance at life."

The day was symbolic for Johnson, too. It was her birthday.

Johnson was granted clemency and released from prison in June. She and Kardashian have since met up a number of times together. "I love this woman," she said of Johnson.

On Oct. 10, the two of them reunited in San Francisco for a Google Summit, which Kardashian documented on social media. 

AP/Getty

Over the past few weeks, The Life of Pablo rapper has received some ire for his pro-Trump remarks and Make America Great Again apparel. The rapper was the musical guest on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live and was then booed by the audience after the show when he gave a fiery address. "It's so many times that I talk to like, a white person about this, and they say, 'How could you like Trump? He's racist.' Well if I was concerned about racism, I would have moved out of America a long time ago. We don't just make our decisions off of racism. I'ma break it down to you right now: If someone inspires me and I connect with them, I don't have to believe in all they policies," he said in his speech.

Kanye also said he got flak for wearing his MAGA hat on set and around New York City. He asserted, "They bully me backstage and say, 'Don't go out there with that hat on.' They bully me backstage. They bully me!"

Since that night, the Yeezy designer has since deleted his social media accounts.  Some Saturday Night Live stars including Kenan Thompson and Pete Davidson as well as celebrities like Chris Evans and Alec Baldwin have spoken out about Kanye's rhetoric. 

Despite his controversial remarks, Kardashian remains supportive of her husband. A source told E! News recently, "She believes Kanye is entitled to his opinion and can express it freely. She may not always agree with him, but she still feels he's allowed to believe what he wants."

President Trump has proven to be a big KimYe fan himself. He's praised the couple at campaign events and he and Kanye have had some photo-ops together, too. In April, President Trump thanked Kanye for his "great service" after the "Stronger" rapper expressed his support for Trump on Twitter.