Kanye West visited President Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday. It was something. Sitting across the Resolute Desk from Trump and surrounded by a gaggle of reporters, the rapper and self-proclaimed “Free Thinker” delivered a 10-minute soliloquy about a perplexing array of issues.
He pitched the president on a plane to replace Air Force One called the “iPlane 1.” He talked about how he had been misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder (he was actually just sleep-deprived). He became the first person to publicly say “motherfucker” in the president’s office. Bloomberg White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs called it the wildest Oval Office event she’s ever seen.
A particularly surreal moment came when West explained why he finds Trump so appealing.
“I’m married to a family where there’s not a lot of male energy going on,” he said. “There’s something about … I love Hillary. I love everyone. But the campaign ‘I’m With Her’ just didn’t make me feel, as a guy that didn’t get to see his dad all the time, like a guy who could play catch with his son. There was something about when I put this hat on that made me feel like Superman. That’s my favorite superhero. You made a Superman cape for me.”
“I love Hillary,” Kanye West says, but the campaign ‘I’m With Her’ didn’t make me feel like a guy that could play catch with his son," adding his ‘Make America Great Again’ hat made him “feel like Superman” #tictocnews pic.twitter.com/PKQFHLqAWp
— TicToc by Bloomberg (@tictoc) October 11, 2018
West continued to praise people like Trump and fashion designer Ralph Lauren and unspecified “no-bullshit” people who inspired him to go to Adidas with his shoe line and turn the company around. “It’s called the Yeezy Effect,” West said.
West was joined at the White House by NFL legend Jim Brown, as well as a number of other musicians to witness Trump sign the Music Modernization Act. West had previously convened with Trump at Trump Tower in New York City following the 2016 election, and has publicly long admired the president’s brash approach to politics. Following his appearance on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live late last month, West donned a red “Make America Great Again” hat and delivered a lengthy monologue praising the president. He topped it in the Oval Office on Thursday.
In addition to the bizarre comments about Hillary Clinton, Adidas and Trump’s ability to make him feel like he could play catch with his son, West unlocked his phone to show the president plans for the “iPlane 1,” an hydrogen-powered aircraft that would replace Air Force One. West said that it would be designed by Apple. “What I need Saturday Night Live and the liberals to improve on,” West said after showing Trump the plans for the plane. “Is that if he don’t look good, we don’t look good.”
Trump's expression when he thinks "holy shit what's up with this dude" pic.twitter.com/NDGUxPj7PY
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 11, 2018
The day after he appeared on SNL, West tweeted that he believes the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery, should be abolished. He later explained that the 13th Amendment is “slavery in disguise meaning it never ended.” He addressed the issue on Thursday, this time in the context of mental health.
“I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder,” he said after explaining that the “trap door” of the 13th Amendment. “I was connected with a neuropsychologist that works with the athletes in the NBA and the NFL. He looked at my brain. It’s equal on three parts. I’m gonna go ahead and drop some bombs for you: 98th percentile IQ test. I had a 75 percentile of all human beings when it was counting numbers backwards, so I’m gonna work on that one. The other ones, 98 percent. Tesla. Freud. So, he said that I actually wasn’t bipolar. I had sleep deprivation, which can cause dementia 10 to 20 years from now, where I wouldn’t even remember my son’s name.”
Kanye decries "trap door of the 13th amendment" and how his sleep disorder was diagnosed as bipolar disorder. pic.twitter.com/PNwtSkVdSb
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) October 11, 2018
When ABC’s Jonathan Karl attempted to ask West two questions in a row, West snapped at him. “You had one question,” he said. “Now we’re going to go to another question. I answered your questions. I don’t answer questions in simple sound bytes. You are tasting a fine wine. It has multiple notes to it. You better play 4D chess with me like it’s Minority Report. It ain’t that simple. It’s complex.”
Kanye West to @jonkarl: "I don't answer questions in simple sound bites. You are tasting a fine wine. It has multiple notes to it." pic.twitter.com/7oAu0MIBkl
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 11, 2018
He said “motherfucker” while explaining that Trump is on a hero’s journey.
Kanye West just now in the Oval Office: "Trump is on his hero’s journey right now. He might not have thought he’d have a crazy mother-f****r like” me.
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) October 11, 2018
There was a bro-hug. “Special guy,” Trump said, pointing to Brown, as well. “These two are special people.”
Kanye West with President Trump in Oval Office: "I love this guy right here." pic.twitter.com/40Q24j5fRJ
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 11, 2018
West’s newfound interest in politics has also come with repeated threats to run for president. When Trump was asked whether West could be a viable candidate in the future, the president didn’t rule it out. “Only after,” West assured Trump. “2024.”
