Kim Kardashian Discusses Activism, Says She Was Told Going To The White House Would ‘Ruin’ Her Career

Kim Kardashian has become more and more vocal about political issues in recent years. On everything from criminal justice reform to gun control, the celebrity has been unafraid to speak out. In an interview with CR Fashion Book (via TooFab), Kardashian spoke out about her growing activism, and how it’s impacted her perspective.

Kardashian said that her evolution on these issues is, in large part, a result of growing up, getting married, and having children. She also said that she wanted to be a good role model for her kids, even more than she wanted to be perceived as a role model to the public.

“I’m raising four black kids in this society and our system is so discriminatory against black and brown people. I want to do as much as I can to make their lives easier. I never knew much about the system until I started to dig in, and once I learned and saw how many things were wrong, I really couldn’t stop,” Kardashian said.

In particular, Kardashian discussed her advocacy for Alice Johnson, a convicted non-violent drug offender who was sentenced to life in prison. Kardashian found the sentence unfair and lobbied President Donald Trump to get a pardon for Johnson.

In 2018, Kardashian succeeded, in part by connecting with the president through his daughter, Ivanka, and her husband Jared Kushner. When she set a meeting with Trump, she said she was warned by those around her that it might ruin her career.

“Everyone told me I would ruin my career if I went to the White House, but that doesn’t mean anything to me,” Kardashian said.

Ultimately, Kardashian said she didn’t care whether her reputation was ruined. For her, it mattered much less than the chance to save someone from a life in prison. She said backing out of the meeting wasn’t an option for her and that she was comfortable with the blowback she might receive as a result. The celeb also said that of all of her activities, activism was her favorite.

The interview with Kardashian was part of a larger feature on celebrity activism that also included Cher and Naomi Campbell. In the shoot, the celebrities dressed up as bikers with their hair teased up in a 1960s fashion.

Cher also spoke out about her activism in the feature and explained how she uses Twitter to further it. She said that she liked the platform in part because it allowed her to state what she thought, even if she isn’t always right.