Van Jones Praises Kim Kardashian West as the Hero in Prison Reform Bill Passing

Van Jones has a message for all the haters who blasted Kim Kardashian West for meeting with President Trump about criminal justice reform -- take a look at the scoreboard.

The CNN star was on cloud nine in D.C. Wednesday morning after the Senate passed the First Step Act by a lopsided vote of 87-12, and he lauded Kim for it ... saying it wouldn't have been possible without her meeting Trump face-to-face in the Oval.

Van says thanks to Kim -- there will be 50,000 fewer people in prison soon, and inhumane treatment of women prisoners will subside.

Jones says he knows it wasn't easy for Kim to put her celeb status on the line to help people she doesn't even know, and she deserves all the respect in the world for it.

As we reported ... Kim K's passion for prison reform started with her quest to free Alice Marie Johnson, which led to her first meeting with Trump in May. She went back to D.C. in September -- along with Jones -- to work on the crafting of the First Step Act.

Just months later the bill passed in the Senate in a landslide ... and is a step away from becoming law.

As Van says ... how do you like Kim now?