Kanye West says 'Trump cares about the way black people feel about him'

Rapper was criticised for his silence in response to Kimmel's question, later claiming he 'wasn't given a chance to answer'

US President Donald Trump with Kanye West (Getty Images)

Kanye West has finally answered a question about Donald Trump that rendered him speechless during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel earlier this month.

Appearing on 107.WGCI Chicago, the rapper, producer and fashion designer spoke about a range of issues including the US President, his recent tension with fellow artist Drake, and his controversial comment about slavery made during a TMZ appearance.

His interview with Kimmel was notable largely because the TV host asked him: “You 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?”. West took so long deliberating that Kimmel decided to call for an advertising break. West later denied being “stumped” by the question and claimed he “wasn’t given a chance to answer”.

In the new interview, West finally answered the question after it was read back to him, saying: “I feel that [Trump] cares about the way black people feel about him, and he would like for black people to like him like they did when he was cool in the rap songs and all this.”

He added: “[Trump] will do the things that are necessary to make that happen because he’s got an ego like all the rest of us, and he wants to be the greatest president, and he knows that he can’t be the greatest president without the acceptance of the black community. So it’s something he’s gonna work towards, but we’re gonna have to speak to him.”

Of his tension with Drake he said it hit him in “a really sensitive place” but said it was not a falling out: “We all got love for Drake... and you know, we’ll reconcile that one day because we got to, because we got work to do, and these voices is just too powerful.”

West also apologised for claiming slavery was “a choice” in the TMZ interview, commenting: “I never really approached or addressed the slavery comment fully. And it’s not something for me to overly intellectualise.

“This is something about the fact that it hurt people’s feelings and the way I presented that piece of information. I could present in a more calm way, but I was ramped up. And I apologise. That happens sometimes when people are – I’m not blaming mental health, but I’m explaining mental health.”

He continued: “I don’t know if I properly apologised for how the slavery comment made people feel. I’m sorry for the one-two effect of the MAGA hat into the slave comment, and I’m sorry for people that felt let down by that moment. And I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to talk to you about the way I was thinking and what I was going through.”