House Judiciary GOP faces calls to take down tweet celebrating Kanye West

The House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee are facing calls to take down a tweet that celebrated embattled rapper Kanye West.

A tweet from the Republicans on the committee simply read “Kanye. Elon. Trump.” in reference to rapper Kanye West, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, despite Mr West’s suspension from Twitter and Instagram for antisemitic posts.

“Who are three people we really don’t need to hear from ever again, Alex?” one Twitter user said in reference to late Jeopardy host Alex Trebek.

“One is going to prison. One is going to a sanitarium. One is going to [a] private island where he can pretend he’s terraforming Mars,” another user said.

The House Judiciary GOP posted the tweet on Thursday. Over the weekend, Mr West was suspended from Twitter and Instagram after claiming on the latter platform that rapper Diddy was under the control of Jewish people, according to the BBC. The claim referenced an old antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jewish people control the world’s media and governments.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a co-host of The View who previously served as a communications aide for Mr Trump, suggested the committee remove the tweet.

Mr West reacted to his Instagram suspension by getting back on Twitter and writing that he was going “death con 3 On Jewish people,” prompting his Twitter account to also be suspended.

Both Twitter and Instagram removed the posts, noting that Mr West had violated hate speech policies.

Mr West was recently criticised for appearing at Paris fashion week in a “white lives matter” shirt.

The Anti-Defamation League noted that the phrase had initially been used by white supremacists in 2015 as Black Lives Matter protests got underway.

Diddy said in an Instagram video that he “did not rock” with the white lives matter slogan.

“All lives matter - but that Black Lives Matter, don’t play with it. Don’t wear the shirt. Don’t buy the shirt. Don’t play with the shirt. It’s not a joke,” he said.

Mr West then posted what seemed to be a text conversation between himself and Diddy.

“I didn’t like our convo. I’m selling these tees. Nobody can get in between me and my money,” Mr West wrote.

Diddy requested that Mr West stop, the BBC noted.

“Ima use you as an example to show the Jewish people that told you to call me that no one can threaten or influence me,” Mr West wrote.

He then posted an image of himself with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook’s parent company Meta also operates Instagram.

“Look at this Mark. How you gone kick me off Instagram?” Mr West tweeted.

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also,” he added.

“You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda,” he claimed.

Mr West’s account has since been locked and his tweet removed.

On Monday, Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill wrote, “y’all still keeping this post up, huh?” about the House GOP tweet.

Sirius XM host Dean Obeidallah wrote that “the official House GOP judiciary account has numerous posts in past days praising Kanye West BUT not one denouncing West’s vile anti-Semitic tweet. This is 100% by design bc GOP leaders know if they denounce anti-Semitism it would anger parts of their base. The GOP is HATE”.

“Kanye: Anti-Semite and misogynist. Elon: Racist and misogynist. Trump: Racist, anti-Semite and misogynist. You sure do have terrible friends,” journalist Victoria Brownworth added.

“This is the official account of the Republican House Judiciary Committee. Its Ranking member is @AIPAC endorsed Jim Jordan,” Daniel Kohl noted.

“It’s wild this tweet is still up days after Kanye went full-blown antisemite. The Republican Party is an active threat to Jewish Americans,” Max Berger said.

“The fact that this tweet is still up is telling,” former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner tweeted.

“Nearly 24 hours after Kanye West threatened to go ‘death con on JEWISH PEOPLE’ and this tweet from the Republican party is still up. Make no mistake: In today’s Republican Party, bigotry is a feature, not a bug,” the account Republicans against Trumpism posted.

“Trump. GOP. Putin. Orban. Meloni. Bolsonaro. All the Ye’s. Truth vs Lies,” one Twitter user wrote. “The world has reached an existential tipping point between Good & Evil. Between the forces of light & the forces of darkness. Time’s up. Only one survives. It’s time to take a side. Silence is complicity.”

“When people tell you who they are, believe them,” The View co-host Sunny Hostin said.

“This was funny before Kanye was suspended from Twitter for antisemitism,” one account holder added.

“A day after they were aware Kanye tweeted he was going ‘death con 3 on Jewish people’ this is still up,” Sarah Reese Jones of Politicus USA said. “That’s very disturbing. Why isn’t the media talking about this nonstop like they did ‘basket of deplorables’?”

“The first just declared war on Jews. The second has told Ukraine to give territory to Russia and Taiwan to surrender land to China. The third is a failed, twice-impeached former president who is under multiple federal and state investigations for espionage and corruption,” Travis Akers wrote.

“Dear pro-Trump and GOP Jews: time to leave the cult,” MSNBC columnist Ruth Ben-Ghiat tweeted.

Daily Mail columnist and conservative pundit Meghan McCain, the daughter of late Arizona GOP Senator John McCain – the party’s 2008 presidential nominee, tweeted: “Take this down now. Idiots.”