During Thursday’s (August 9) episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, special guest Kanye West was put in the hot seat as the late-night talk show host grilled him about his support for Donald Trump.
At one point, ‘Ye appeared at a momentarily loss for words when Kimmel asked what made him think the current POTUS cares about people at all. But, West has now denied being “stumped” by the question.
“On Jimmy Kimmel we had a great time having a dialogue,” he wrote via Twitter. “I’m reading that I was stumped by a question. Let me clarify the click bait. I wasn’t stumped. I wasn’t given a chance to answer the question.”
He added, “The question was so important I took time to think. And then I was hit with the let’s go to commercial break. That interview showed strong personalities with different opinions having a civil conversation.”
Despite the differing opinions on Trump’s effectiveness in office, West praised Kimmel and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
“I was so happy when I saw Jimmy walk out in the Yeezys,” he said. “That was an olive branch. He lead with love. I appreciate Jimmy and his team. You guys are Jedi’s. much love.”
[This article has been updated. The last version was published on August 11, 2018 and can be found below.]
Following Kanye West’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Thursday (August 9), Donald Trump has (once again) thanked ‘Ye for his unwavering support. On Friday (August 10), Trump headed to Twitter to praise West for his perceived candor.
“Thank you to Kanye West and the fact that he is willing to tell the TRUTH,” he wrote. “One new and great FACT – African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in the history of our Country. So honored by this. Thank you Kanye for your support. It is making a big difference!
West’s support of Trump has drawn criticism over the past several months, something ‘Ye defended during the Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance. He explained it’s more about overcoming his own personal fears than politics.
“I didn’t have the confidence to take on the world and possible backlash,” he explained. “It took me a year and a half to have the confidence to stand up and put on the hat, no matter what the consequences were and what it represented to me — it’s not about policies ’cause I’m not a politician like that. It represented overcoming fear.”
Despite any backlash, West continues to publicly support the current POTUS and exercise his right to “free thinking.” [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
[This article has been updated. The original version was published on August 10, 2018 and can be found below.]
Kanye West was a special guest on Thursday night’s (August 9) episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he opened up about a bevy of topics, including his controversial political views. One question left ‘Ye uncharacteristically speechless.
As Kimmel was pressing him about his support for Donald Trump, he scoffed at the notion all black people should have “monolithic” thoughts and can only vote democrat.
“Just as a musician, African-American guy out in Hollywood – all these different things, everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me and then told me every time I said I liked Trump that I couldn’t say it out loud or my career would be over, I’d get kicked out (of) the black community, because blacks, we’re supposed to have a monolithic thought – we can only be Democrats,” he said.
Kimmel challenged West with, “There are literally families being torn apart as a result of what this president is doing, and I think that we cannot forget that whether we like his personality or not, his actions are really what matter.
“You’ve so famously and so powerfully said ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people,’ it makes me wonder what makes you think that Donald Trump does, or any people at all?”
West’s face suddenly goes blank and he didn’t have an answer for that. After a few brief moments of awkward silence, Kimmel interjected and said, “Why don’t we take a break? We’ll come back.”
After the commercials, ‘Ye never had a chance to answer the question.
Elsewhere in the interview, ‘Ye defended his blatant support of Trump and said his 2016 hospitalization gave him the courage to put on the MAGA hat.
“I didn’t have the confidence to take on the world and possible backlash,” he explained. “It took me a year and a half to have the confidence to stand up and put on the hat, no matter what the consequences were and what it represented to me — it’s not about policies ’cause I’m not a politician like that.
“But it represented overcoming fear and doing what you felt no matter what anyone said and saying you can’t bully me, liberals can’t bully me, news can’t bully me, the Hip Hop community, they can’t bully me. Because at that point, if I’m afraid to be me, I’m no longer ‘Ye. That’s what makes Ye. And I actually quite enjoy when people actually are mad at me about certain things.”
Watch the full segment above. [apple_news_ad type=”any”]
Comedy shows serve a political agenda.
Everybody in media got a political agenda. Just pick one that supports whatever you believe in and stick to that. Or, check everything out and expand your horizon. Either way, were all gonna die one day. Doesnt matter how we lived our lives. No one gives a shit.
you sound like a gay frog
Because I elaborated on your point and added my two cents? FOH
What does gay frog even mean
So tired of every late night host bringing their political views on air. Save that bs for the right forum
“Kimmel challenged West with, “There are literally families being torn apart as a result of what this president is doing, and I think that we cannot forget that whether we like his personality or not, his actions are really what matter.”
The answer is these are one of Obama’s left over policies that Trump actually thinks is a good idea, Trump didn’t create this policy but no one seemed to care about it when Obama did it.
“You’ve so famously and so powerfully said ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people,’ it makes me wonder what makes you think that Donald Trump does, or any people at all?”
Something like 70+ people were shot in Chicago this past weekend alone the majority likely black on black crime. This is nothing new in Democrat run cities like Chicago, Detroit and a several others, but where was Obama speaking out or doing a damn thing to try and fix these issues ? But yes lets all blame Trump because that’s what your told to do because its all you have been told to say and do since the day you were born if your from many of these cities.
Obana did not behave like child when he does not get his own way
Obama was not disresptful to human beings
Obama did not threaten to divide America by delving into sports
Obama did not threaten to build a wall
Bottom line we are not disrespecting Obama because Obana did not disrespect us
Wake the fuck up…half of those pics all the media was showing with kids in cages and shit were from 2014. Easy with the “LeBron angle”…that shit is laughable as if the leader of a country expecting his millionaire citizens, that are only rich becuz of the opportunities this country gives, to stand for the national anthem is using sports to divide the country. The country had a problem with these entitled athletes not standing before Trump took office, but Bron Bron said it so its true. What an embarrassing statement. Then he cries racism when he attacks the president on national tv and the prez calls him “stupid”. I guess stupid is a racial term than only applies to blacks now…ok, if you guys say so. Obama was the biggest magician on the planet, he got half the country to worship him while he did absolutely nothing to help them. The black community lost cities becuz the 1st black president allowed them to riot their own neighborhoods over a lie. He pushed the racism agenda from day one with the “beer summit”…Obama reinvigorated the racial divide of this country, and now you wanna blame Trump for it…so sad
And who did Trump appoint as Attorney General? Jeff Sessions. A known White Supremacist. A man who was rejected from Congress in the 80s for being “too racist”. Thats a fact. Another fact? He regularly degraded any Black employee he had. Coffin nail? He called a White Civil Rights Lawyer a “race traitor”. There are alot of stories about that Good Ole Boy Jeff Sessions. Why would Trump appoint a known bigot as the Attorney General of the United State?
Then why did Trump win awards from people like al Sharpton for the work he did for minorities, before he ran for president if he was so racist? Fact Why was he friends and on Opera’s show many times if he’s so racist. Fact
Eel…you mean Barrack “The Drone Strike” Obama wasn’t disrespectful to human beings? Dude murdered more innocent people than you could ever imagine, but there was no CNN coverage of that stuff
Kimmel is OBSESSED with Trump.
Whole world is obsessed with Trump.
Yeah I think everyone is obsessed because they can’t believe that he won the Presidency Of The United States by being a low class-sexist-narcissistic-racist-simpleton who doesn’t understand the basic concept of human morality.
U mad that Big Trumpy owns youre dumb ass?? Lmao
Kanye truly believes he has some supreme thought process. Nothing wrong with different thinking and expression; however, a Black man supporting a white supremacy thought process is inexcusable and can’t be justified. Whenever Kanye is truly challenged, he goes blank…
Kanye thinks he’s super smart and he really isn’t lol. He’s only musically talented and that’s even debatable. Kanye is dumb as a box of rocks. It’s unfortunate and inconvenient for everybody that he is so outspoken about everything while being that dumb. It’s like talking to a child.
Cmon – if you get asked such a profound question – allow this man some time to think for an appropriate answer and don’t label it awkward immediately.
That’s just not fair.
Kanye don’t take time to think though, he didn’t when he was sore about beyonce not winning, he didn’t when he had his countless temper tantrums for the public, and he didn’t when he started supporting trump, he’s always got an answer for everything, do you believe honestly for one minute kanye was scared about what the world thinks and that he waited to announce it in fear? Kanye just makin sure they keep talkin bout kanye. Shallow as a puddle.
you could obviously see that he hasnt thought about it that way… Kimmel made him look at it from another angle. Like Adrian Stiller said in the comments, give him some time to think about the question. I wouldve loved to see that discussion go back and forth but unfortunately that didnt happen
How much time? A week good for you?
Should have been more prepared Ye. Sad he supports fake pres.
Kanye low key retarded af. Hes talented in making music. But retarded af
Newsflash homie he don’t produce his own music! Real friends has Havocs finger prints all over it.
How it was portrayed in the press isn’t how it played out at all.
Watch the whole interview and he has some interesting things to say.
“Liberals can’t bully me”?? Dafuq? You are a gay black man, married to a white woman, famous for rap music, living in Hollywood…Bitch you are what liberalism stands for!
It’s not too late for you to buy a dictionary.
Kim Kardashian is not white.
No. Liberals like blacks and gays on public assistance.
This dude has so much to say, a lot of nothing about nothing some times. I vividly remember him going off on Bush after Hurricane Katrina and how passionate he was. He gets asked a comparable question about 4 5, which Kimmel made a great point and his ass goes mute. How can you say “give him time to think about a question”? He has so much to say any other time. Him going mute says ‘damn, he got me’. He could not answer the question because he knows the actions by 4 5 are just as worse as the actions by Bush.
he said “give him time to think about it” because he is showing kanye respect after stumping him.
Kanye is an annoying contrarian who supports trump just to be “different”. He doesn’t really know shit about the dude or politics as a whole.
And he’s got the nerve to say he Couldn’t handle taking on the world when thats literally the only reason he says he likes trump, Kanye actin like thats not his whole purpose smh.
and you do? im sure you have first hand info
If you get a known Racist to praise you wow a man who separate children from their mother and father that’s pretty sick Dumb Donald Trump keep your praise
This has been happening so don’t blame Trump. Obama did it as well. You only dislike Trump because the TV told you not to like him.
Yeah.
The Media told us all about his cheating, his attitude towards minorities, his absolutly irrational behaviour in international affairs, his ongoing lies, his exorbitant spendings of taxpayers money, his strange business behavior, his treason and so on.
Must be the medias fault, that this powerhungry freak fucks up all the time.
If they didnt tell the people, none of this wouldnt have happenend, right?
Over here in europe we shake our heads so hard, some necks already broke.
Every damn morning reading the news what this waste of skin has done/will do to your beautiful country feels just like a damage report.
“known racist” please enlighten me. i need a link of him being racist.
you must have been living under a rock this dude didn’t want blacks living in apartments he owned he has a long history of being a racist separating Hispanic children from their parents fail to speak out when Grand Wizard David Duke endorsed him took over a year to speak out for the racist attack on protesters in North Carolina I could go on so before you try comment again do your home work
is funny how americans think they know a lot about politics, they took something serious as entertainment and they end up getting a tv clown as theyr president, now is all about pretending he is not that bad and having to accept that the big mayority of americans are plain assholes and they think they are superior human beings
The sunken place is real
Hmm ye might need a mf you black in America reminder
The greatest country in the world to be black in.
Where have you been?
All these comments made in a negative manner are only brought on because the media made you all hate Trump. When white supremacist were marching and so forth the media blamed Trump. When he was a TV personality not one media outlet said he was racist. Black ppl need to look at themselves and ask the question, why do we vote for a party that was born from slavery. It’s still the same today and many of you commenting have no idea about legislation. These laws on immigration have been on the books since 1997. The Obama administration did the same thing however the media protected Obama. I challenge anyone of your know it all fools to respond with some comments trying to discredit what I say. I’m black and I know my ppl are confused and don’t know who is the real enemy. They use race to distract you. Use your brain.
Media loves trump though, whole reason he’s allowed to be president
are you a fucking dumbass? the media amps up anything bad that trump does and never says any of the good he has done. like he said black unemployment is at an ALL TIME low. yet you dont hear nothing about that. delusional
You are a complete fool. You can’t even watch NBC or CBS without them making a trump joke. The media has done everything they can to play with the narrative and based on the comments on hip hop sites it has worked like a charm. g easy is a fool. Ye made tons of mistakes over the last year but his support for trump is one that should be overlooked. Embarrassing
The fuck are you talking about? Studies confirm that 90% of coverage on Trump is negative.
Fuck the media and fuck trump. There ya go
#MAGA TRUMP 2020 #BlacksForTrump
That’s not the full interview
I think Kanye is a cock most of the time but I absolutely love how much smarter he consistently proves himself to be than those who hate him.
If everyone took time to think and consider their responses bet mone this would be a better world.
Kanye looked stumped for a second. But he is correct, a complex question like that would require to think before you speak. Kanye, if anything, chose to think before he spoke. I congratulate him on that. I still don’t think he should be a trump supporter. Anyone for that matter.
Nah, he just couldn’t answer the question, and still hasn’t. Trump clearly doesn’t like black people and his history shows that more than Bush, yet Kanye called out Bush for it.
Who gives a shit!! Let’s go Trump!!!! F*** all you immigrants and colored people.
I still say Kanye West need his ass beat, so he will be be black again, the dude is just stupid, stay shooting off his mouth and really do not make any sense
I don’t like how he still didn’t really answer the question. However, the question is a little off because Bush’s actions were worse than Trump’s. Trump’s words are worse, but in terms of what he has done to black people it doesn’t even come close to ppl being stranded and dying during Katrina while the government was jerking off somewhere. I’ll take a guy who says a bunch of ridiculous, even racist, shit over a dude who let ppl die the way they did in New Orleans.
Puerto Rico would beg to disagree with you.
Yeah but the question to Kanye was about black ppl, as was my comment, so if you wanna say Trump hates latino people I’m all for it. I’m not saying Trump is a good guy, seems like he could be a terrible guy. I don’t know, I don’t know him. But in terms of what was asked by Kimmel, Bush was worse.