Trump tells Alice Johnson story during his speech

President Donald Trump brought Memphis resident Alice Marie Johnson to the 2019 State of the Union address on Tuesday night after she was granted clemency while serving a mandatory life sentence on nonviolent drug charges. She was released in June.

Trump commented on Johnson during the address. Here is what the president said: “Last year, I heard through friends the story of Alice Johnson. I was deeply moved. In 1997, Alice was sentenced to life in prison as a firsttime non-violent drug offender. Over the next two decades, she became a prison minister, inspiring others to choose a better path … Alice’s story underscores the disparities and unfairness that can exist in criminal sentencing — and the need to remedy this injustice.”

Johnson stood up with tears falling from her eyes

Inside

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while the room roared in applause.

Johnson, a 63-year-old grandmother in Memphis, spent more than two decades in prison. She was convicted for five counts of drug trafficking and one count of money laundering, her first offense, and was sentenced to life in prison in 1996.

Her story began to get national traction and caught the attention of reality star Kim Kardashian who visited Johnson in Memphis after lobbying for her at the White House.