The ever-controversial Kanye West is throwing his voice into the political ring with some subtle MAGA cheerleading leading up to the U.S. presidential election, suggesting he plans to cast his vote in support of Republican incumbent, President Donald Trump.
In a new interview with GQ, the rapper/fashion mogul suggested he shouldn't be expected to vote for a Democrat based on his race alone, and despite not voting for Trump in the 2016 election, West does plan to vote for you-know-who this year.
"I'm definitely voting this time," West told GQ. "And we know who I'm voting on. And I'm not going to be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over. Because guess what: I'm still here! Jesus Is King was No. 1! I was told my career would end if I wasn't with her. What kind of campaign is that, anyway? That's like if Obama's campaign was 'I'm with black.' What's the point of being a celebrity if you can't have an opinion? Everybody make their own opinion! You know?"
Reflecting on his former beliefs about the Republican party, West also skewered his "victim" mentality of yesteryear, revising his infamous comments on George Bush's handling of the Hurricane Katrina fallout in 2010.
"'George Bush doesn't care about black people' is a victim statement," West said. "This white person didn't do something for us. That is stemmed in victim mentality. Every day I have to look in the mirror like I'm Robert De Niro and tell myself, 'You are not a slave.' As outspoken as I am, and the position that I am in, I need to tell myself."
Ironically, De Niro has been very outspoken about his distaste for Trump, earlier this year suggesting that he'd "like to see a bag of shit right in his face."
In a new interview with GQ, the rapper/fashion mogul suggested he shouldn't be expected to vote for a Democrat based on his race alone, and despite not voting for Trump in the 2016 election, West does plan to vote for you-know-who this year.
"I'm definitely voting this time," West told GQ. "And we know who I'm voting on. And I'm not going to be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over. Because guess what: I'm still here! Jesus Is King was No. 1! I was told my career would end if I wasn't with her. What kind of campaign is that, anyway? That's like if Obama's campaign was 'I'm with black.' What's the point of being a celebrity if you can't have an opinion? Everybody make their own opinion! You know?"
Reflecting on his former beliefs about the Republican party, West also skewered his "victim" mentality of yesteryear, revising his infamous comments on George Bush's handling of the Hurricane Katrina fallout in 2010.
"'George Bush doesn't care about black people' is a victim statement," West said. "This white person didn't do something for us. That is stemmed in victim mentality. Every day I have to look in the mirror like I'm Robert De Niro and tell myself, 'You are not a slave.' As outspoken as I am, and the position that I am in, I need to tell myself."
Ironically, De Niro has been very outspoken about his distaste for Trump, earlier this year suggesting that he'd "like to see a bag of shit right in his face."
