Trump-Kanye West meeting: Rapper rants and swears at surreal White House lunch on day president signs 'historic' music bill
Rapper hugs Donald Trump while wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Kanye West has launched into an expletive-filled rant touching on everything from prison reform to how Donald Trump makes him feel like “Superman” as part of a surreal meeting in the White House.
West, who lavished praise on the president ahead of a planned lunch, launched into a near 10-minute monologue that Mr Trump called “quite something”.
Referring the Make America Great Again hat he was wearing while sat across from Mr Trump in the Oval Office he said that it felt like it gave him “power”.
“There was something about putting this hat on that made me feel like Superman,” West said, as part of the speech that spanned topics from his mental health - saying he did not have dipolar disorder, but was merely “sleep deprived” - and violence in Chicago.
The rapper has been criticised over his for his support for Mr Trump, including after a recent appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
“People expect that if you're black you have to be Democrat,” he said. “What I need Saturday Night Live to improve on, what I need the liberals to improve on: if he don't look good, we don't look good,” West said, gesturing at Mr Trump.
Taking out his phone, he showed the president an image of a hydrogen-powered plane and suggested the president should use the design for Air Force One.
West also said he would like Mr Trump to ditch talk about persuading police in Chicago to institute “stop and frisk” policies to crack down on crime and violence.
“I didn't mean to put you on the (spot), bro,” West told Mr Trump, who said “I'm open to everything” about the subject, adding that West could speak for him “any time” as he was a “smart cookie”.
West also said the president is on a “hero's journey.”
“Let's stop worrying about the future, all we have is today,” the music star said, commenting on his own presidential ambitions. “Trump is on his hero's journey right now. He might not have thought he'd have a crazy mother-f***** like me [supporting him].”
Asked if he saw West as a potential presidential candidate Mr Trump said “could very well be” with West adding “only after 2024” - the end of a potential second White House term for Mr Trump.
Over lunch, according to White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, Mr Trump and his guests - which include former NFL running back Jim Brown and White House advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump - would discuss potential future pardons for convicts along with “addressing the massive violent crime surge in Chicago” and efforts to create jobs for black Americans.
Kim Kardashian-West, who is married to the rapper, had previously raised the issue of pardons in a White House meeting of her own.
Before leaving the Oval Office for the lunch of roast chicken and potatoes West stood up and gave Mr Trump a hug, saying: “I love this man”.
If you want to read how the meeting unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below.
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load.
Prison reform is one of the main topics that West wants to discuss with the president over lunch - here is what he said on the topic in the Oval Office.
Kanye West suggested the president should look into possibly pardoning Larry Hoover, the founder of a Chicago street gang currently serving a life sentence as well as a 150-200 year sentence for a 1973 murder.
Here are six of the most bizarre moments from Donald Trump and Kanye West's White House press conference.
Here’s how MSNBC’s Stephanie Rhule and Ali Velshi immediately responded to Kanye West’s meeting with Donald Trump at the White House — in GIF form.
Kanye West defended the 2nd Amendment and guns rights, saying “The problem is illegal guns.”
He added, “Illegal guns is the problem, not legal guns. We have the right to bear arms.”
That's all for The Independent's coverage on the surreal White House meeting between Kanye West and Donald Trump.
Read our analysis of the six most bizarre moments from the event below.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments