In a not-so-shocking but still-a-bit-jarring turn of events, Kanye West has officially met with President-Elect Donald Trump. Yes, you read that right. In his second public appearance since his hospitalization, the 39-year-old controversial rapper and producer walked into Trump Tower to meet with President-Elect Donald Trump early on Tuesday.
Following the meeting, both Trump and West appeared in the lobby of Trump Tower. When asked what they spoke about, Trump said they spoke about “life” in general and called West “a good man”. Trump also said the pair had been friends for “a very long time.” West, however, didn’t say nearly as much as the president elect, saying that he was only there for a picture. West didn’t discuss anything else with the media on hand, not answering questions about his alleged 2020 presidential bid or his vote.
“We’ve been friends for a long time”: Kanye West and President-elect Trump appear together at Trump Tower https://t.co/QoofBJzY1x pic.twitter.com/DK6z1P9LhG
— CNN (@CNN) December 13, 2016
Shortly before his hospitalization for exhaustion, West gave one of his signature rants to say that he did not vote in the election, but if he had, he would have voted for Trump. This rant and the one following caused many people to question his mental state. Eventually, West was admitted to a hospital and canceled the rest of his tour, citing exhaustion. Despite his recent release, “Yeezy” continues to hold this political support for the president-elect. This political view is at odds with his wife and estranged friends alike. Kim Kardashian West, Beyonce and Jay-Z all showed open support for Hillary Clinton. But he is in line with Kardashian step-parent Caitlyn Jenner, who has been a supporter of Trump since the beginning of his presidential run.
People have criticized both parties regarding the meeting. Ana Navarro, an adamant Trump critic, tweeted that the situation is “crap” as Trump has time to meet with Kanye West, but apparently does not have the time nor the interest for daily intelligence briefings. Kanye fans also criticized the rapper, saying he needs to change his ways, and remarking that Jay Z and Beyonce were right to stay away from West at this time in his life.
West is among the latest to join the ranks of Trump’s celebrity supporters which includes Paris Hilton, Scott Baio, Dennis Rodman and Stephen Baldwin.