Kanye West Renounces Politics Amid Controversial Stances

Kanye West Renounces Politics Amid Controversial Stances

Kanye West is taking a new stance on politics.

In late September and into October, the rapper received some backlash from fellow celebrities about his overt pro-Donald Trump views. West spoke highly of President Trump after taping the season premiere of Saturday Night Live and wearing a Make America Great Again hat all over New York. On Oct. 11, West visited the White House and told the president he “saved the Earth. Saved the planet.”

Now, the Yeezy designer is taking a step back from political punditry and instead focusing on himself. “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in,” he announced on Twitter. “I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!”

In yet another tweet, the “Stronger” rapper praised his close-knit family and fans for their unconditional support. “I would like to thank my family, loved ones, and community for supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world,” he wrote.

In a third tweet, West gave a taste of his personal policy views. He said, “I support creating jobs and opportunities for people who need them the most, I support prison reform, I support common-sense gun laws that will make our world safer.”

When the cameras stopped rolling after SNL, West gave a long-winded speech that received minimal applause and lots of boos from the audience. “They bully me backstage and say, ‘Don’t go out there with that hat on.’ They bully me backstage,” he said about the cast members and his MAGA hat.

He then compared the hat to a “Superman cape” because “this means you can’t tell me what to do.”

In a Sept. 30 tweet—the day after his SNL performance—West suggested abolishing the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery.

On Oct. 1, West stopped by TMZ for a conversation with Harvey Levin and the two discussed everything from politics to music to mental health. The College Dropout artist also clarified his “abolish” comment. “Abolish was the wrong language. I misspoke by saying abolish. Amend is the right language,” he said.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1057382916760707072