On Thursday, Kanye West visited the White House for a planned lunch with Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump, where the rapper was set to discuss violence in his hometown of Chicago.
However, what occurred was a meeting that left many of the rapper’s former fans feeling uncomfortable and saddened by West’s decline as he showered Trump with compliments, saying that the former reality star was on a “hero’s journey.”
Here’s a quick rundown of what happened during his meeting with Trump.
West said his former comments that George W. Bush “doesn’t care about Black people” were misguided.
“I was very emotional, and I was programmed to think from a victimized mentality, a welfare mentality,” West told ABC’s Jonathan Karl during a press conference following his meeting. West stated that “we need to care about all people” and added, “I think that with Black and African-Americans we get caught up in the idea of racism over the idea of industry.”
.@jonkarl asks Kanye West about his past comments suggesting that George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people."
The rapper said that he didn’t feel empowered by Hillary Clinton’s “I’m With Her” slogan, but felt empowered by his MAGA hat.
West told reporters, “I love Hillary. I love everyone, right? But the campaign ‘I’m with her’ just didn’t make me feel, as a guy that didn’t get to see my dad all the time, like a guy that could play catch with his son. There was something about putting this [MAGA] hat on that made me feel like Superman.”
West defended legal gun ownership when asked about the Second Amendment.
“The problem is illegal guns. Illegal guns is the problem, not legal guns. We have the right to bear arms,” he told reporters.
Asked about gun violence and debate over the Second Amendment, Kanye West defends legal gun ownership: "The problem is illegal guns. Illegal guns is the problem, not legal guns. We have the right to bear arms." https://t.co/dGg4ltwSTepic.twitter.com/O5GemshgEl
The rapper did get around to discussing prison reform, calling for clemency for Larry Hoover.
Hoover, the founder and leader of Chicago’s Gangster Disciples is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison for murder, extortion, conspiracy, and continuing to engage in criminal enterprise once incarcerated. Hoover oversaw a $100 million drug enterprise from jail. He later worked as a political organizer while in prison.
West also doubled down on plans to run for president.
The rapper told Trump and reporters that he is still considering a presidential run, but “only after 2024.” “Let’s stop worrying about the future. All we really have is today,” West said. “We just have today … Trump is on his hero’s journey right now and he might not have expected to have a crazy motherfucker like Kanye West run up and support but, best believe, we are going to make America great.”
