Musician and one-time 2020 presidential candidate Ye told Fox News personality Tucker Carlson former Republican President Donald Trump is "the sh*t" in an unhinged interview that has gone viral for his slew of incoherent remarks on different topics.
Ye sat down with Carlson shortly after the controversy that erupted after he and far-right commentator Candace Owens were photographed wearing "White Lives Matter" T-shirts during his Yeezy Season 9 show during Paris Fashion Week.
Several models of color were also required to wear the shirts in the show.
\u201cPHOTOS: Ye Kanye West makes his models and Lauryn Hill's daughter Selah Marley wear 'White Lives Matter' shirt at his YZYSZN9 fashion show in Paris.\n#KanyeWest \nhttps://t.co/HcF2oPzIFS\u201d— Mega Bounce Nation (@Mega Bounce Nation) 1664887121
Ye decided to go on Fox News to address the widespread backlash from friends and foes alike.
During his appearance he praised Trump and joked about his support for him in a way that had Carlson—one of the biggest mouthpieces for Trump, his former administration, and his policies—giggling.
You can hear what Ye said in the video below.
\u201cTucker Carlson: "Why did you like [Trump]?"\n\nKanye West: "Trump's the shit. What do you mean?"\n\nTucker Carlson: *giggles*\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1665103413
When asked by Carlson to explain why he liked Trump "early on," Ye responded:
"Trump's the sh*t man, what do you mean?"
"I keep telling this joke. If people say Trump was the first Black president, I'm gonna be the first Latino president because all the values, the conservative values, just line up, come on, man."
"Trump said, 'What do you mean has his own buildings? We talked about, like, Ralph Lauren. Yeah, he made Ivanka."
Ye's remarks opened him and Carlson up to immediate criticism.
\u201c\u201c He has his own building\u2026he made Ivanka.\u201d oh\u2026my\u2026Gerd\u2026this is the mentality of a Trump follower!\u201d— pam_cee52 (@pam_cee52) 1665147410
\u201cHalf the country and their TV station and its hosts have absolutely, totally and completely, lost their minds. They exist in this delusional world where no one believes anything and anyone says anything.\n\nIt's the weirdest gd thing I've seen in my lifetime.\u201d— SFDB (@SFDB) 1665143709
\u201cI don\u2019t even comprehend him. I feel dumber listening to this.\u201d— Lance McMillan (@Lance McMillan) 1665144093
\u201cTucker Carlson giggling is one of the most unsettling sounds I\u2019ve ever heard.\u201d— Pepper (@Pepper) 1665144908
\u201c"If people say Trump was the first Black President, then Imma be the first Latino president." -- Kanye Carlson\n\nWHO SAID THAT?!\u201d— \u2728TheStarsAtNight \u2728 (@\u2728TheStarsAtNight \u2728) 1665130379
\u201cThis is just weird.\u201d— Rico (@Rico) 1665140860
\u201cI don\u2019t even understand what he\u2019s saying.\u201d— uche k... (@uche k...) 1665123416
\u201cwatching this i feel insane\u201d— kt (@kt) 1665124180
\u201cThis man needs help. ASAP\u201d— Mwana wa Jena (@Mwana wa Jena) 1665129705
Later, when asked why he wore a "White Lives Matter" shirt, Ye said that he does "certain things from a feeling... using a gut instinct, connection with God and just brilliance." He went on to accuse the media of having "a godless agenda" and said he thought it would be "funny" to wear the shirt.
Carlson also wrote an op-ed defending Ye, asking that his viewers "be the judge" of Ye's behavior, which critics have often said is erratic.
Carlson said that Ye often projects his "rawest emotions" into what he says and that the "effect can be jarring and it's often used as ammunition against him in the battle for influence over the minds of America's young people."
NBC News via Lisa Anderson
