Kanye West was relatively quiet in the days after the Presidential election. As someone who, in the past, has never been shy of speaking out against social injustices plaguing the country, the decision of Donald Trump running the country sure seemed like an open invite for Mr. “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” to deliver some G.O.O.D. stream of consciousness.
However, during a show Thursday night (November 17) in San Jose, California, West floored concertgoers with a speech that no one saw coming. According to West, not only did he not vote, but if he had, he would have went for Donald Trump.
West told the audience that he’s “glad Trump inspired racists to reveal themselves” and that if we can wait for another four years, he is still considering a run for the White House in 2020 — a plan he has been hinting at since the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.
He then praised music for its ability to unify the country after such a brutal election, stating, “I’m not asking y’all on your opinions on who’s better, but there are people who voted for either side that come together for music.” The declaration from West comes after President-elect Trump mentioned last year that he knew West was a supporter “I’ll never say bad about him, because he loves Trump,” he responded, after being asked about the “Famous” rapper’s presidential run. “He goes around saying Trump is my all-time hero. He says it to everybody. So Kanye West, I love him.”
Of course, Ye’s unfiltered comments at the show drew jeers from fans in attendance as well as many online.
This is just another example of West once again waving his polarizing card. After spending a better part of his career standing at the frontline of social justice, the rapper has since steered away from that podium. When the country was mourning the losses of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown, he used his platform to promote his plans for the fashion world. As Bill Cosby faced mounting accusations of sexual assault from more than 50 women, he tweeted the following without any substantial explanation. The tweet, just like Ye’s speech above, also drew mixed reactions.
While it’s unclear why he chose until now to throw his support behind one of the presidential candidates is anyone’s guess, West reportedly revealed at the show that his manager Scooter Braun told him to wait until after the election to support anybody publicly.
As the rant went on, fans booed and some even threw things at him as he interrupted the show to deliver his political consciousness.
With all this said, Ye’s admission is also interesting in that his wife Kim Kardashian praised Hillary Clinton during the Presidential election campaign. They couple even took a selfie with Clinton and shared it on Instagram.