- Following a much-publicized bromance, President Donald Trump is now reportedly considering inviting the rapper Kanye West to dinner at the White House.
- West began posting messages and photos to Twitter this week showcasing his support for Trump, claiming that he and Trump share a “dragon energy.”
- Trump and his family members responded by thanking West, praising him, and complimenting his “great service to the Black Community.”
The public bromance that blossomed this week between President Donald Trump and the rapper Kanye West could extend to an invitation for the outspoken pair to spend time together at the White House, The Daily Beast reported Friday.
According to the report, Trump has asked aides and associates whether he should invite West over to the White House for an Oval Office photo-op or for dinner.
One source told The Daily Beast they could not tell if Trump was joking or not.
West began posting Twitter updates about his support for Trump on Wednesday. One of the posts featured a photo of him in a “Make America Great Again” hat signed by Trump. West claimed in another tweet that he and Trump share a “dragon energy.”
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/989179757651574784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Trump thanked West in a tweet Friday, praising his "great service to the Black Community."
Thank you Kanye, very cool! https://t.co/vRIC87M21X
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2018
Trump's eldest daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, also weighed in, quoting West's tweet and adding the hashtag #truth.
#truth https://t.co/34vnAIjkti
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) April 25, 2018
West's posts sparked controversy across Twitter, leading to a series of high-profile figures unfollowing him and messages from fellow artists like John Legend urging West to rethink his support of Trump.
I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can't be blind to the truth.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) April 25, 2018
The reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who is married to West, weighed in on the controversy amid the criticism.
"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," Kardashian tweeted. "So quick to label him as having mental health issues for just being himself when he has always been expressive is not fair."
Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., subsequently quoted Kardashian's comments and added the hashtag #ImWithHer, in an apparent reference to former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign slogan.
Trump and Kanye have commented on each other in the past, and West proclaimed during a 2016 concert that if he had voted, he would have cast a ballot for Trump. Shortly after the concert, West abruptly cancelled the rest of his tour due to exhaustion.
The took their friendship public at a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower where it was reported they discussed "life."