President Trump Praises Kanye West for Performing a 'Great Service to the Black Community'
President Donald Trump continued his praise of rapper and producer Kanye West on Friday as the two have established an unlikely union this week via dueling social media posts.
“Kanye West has performed a great service to the Black Community,” Trump wrote in a tweet.
The president claimed that by receiving the support of the influential black entertainer that “Big things are happening and eyes are being opened for the first time in Decades.”
Trump also expressed gratitude to public figures who have defended West’s position, declaring that “they really get it.”
Echoing prior musings about why West and other African-Americans support him, Trump claimed that America is experiencing the “lowest Black & Hispanic unemployment in history.”
Kanye West has performed a great service to the Black Community – Big things are happening and eyes are being opened for the first time in Decades – Legacy Stuff! Thank you also to Chance and Dr. Darrell Scott, they really get it (lowest Black & Hispanic unemployment in history).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2018
Chance the Rapper, another artist cited by name in Trump’s tweet, went on to reject the presidential acknowledgment.
Chance had received significant backlash after offering what was interpreted as a broad defense of West in a tweet Wednesday declaring that “Black people don’t have to be democrats.”
In light of his mention in Trump’s tweet two days later, the rapper replied, “Nah that aint it yo.”
Nah that aint it yo https://t.co/hqA1NYGxE2
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 27, 2018
West has expressed several reasons for his “love” of the president in recent days, though they have generally focused on Trump’s communication style rather than any specific policy positions.
In one of dozens of tweets on the subject West posted on Wednesday, he wrote that “the mob” could not make him “not love” Trump.
“We are both dragon energy,” he wrote. “He is my brother. I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.”
The comments have resulted in defense, if not praise, from a number of prominent Trump allies.
West has also received an onslaught of backlash from many in the black community who believe he is misusing his platform by defending Trump.
In the wake of his comments this week, some of Twitter’s most famous users were among the scores who opted to unfollow his account. Among them were Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry and Kendrick Lamar.
Even as some in the Kardashian family appeared to be among those who no longer followed him, West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, defended his right to express his opinions.
To the media trying to demonize my husband let me just say this… your commentary on Kanye being erratic & his tweets being disturbing is actually scary. So quick to label him as having mental health issues for just being himself when he has always been expressive is not fair
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) April 25, 2018
She wrote that it was “not fair” for commentators to “label him as having mental health issues for just being himself,” especially considering that the controversial entertainer has a record of “being expressive.”
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