In the days leading up to his mental breakdown and hospitalization, before he cancelled his remaining tour dates, Kanye West vociferously praised Donald Trump and criticized Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama during a couple of his patented on-stage soapbox speeches. This morning, in one of his first public appearances since getting out of the hospital, the newly blonde West has taken a meeting with Trump in New York.
Multiple reporters on the scene noted West's arrival at Trump Tower this morning, and TMZ confirms that he's there to meet with the president-elect. No word on what they discussed, but apparently West requested an audience with Trump and Trump granted him a 15-minute meeting. After the meeting, Trump came down to the lobby with West and the two exchanged a hug. We'll update when there's more info, but in the meantime, check out footage of West's arrival and the embrace with Trump below.
UPDATE: Upon appearing with West in the lobby, Trump said they discussed "life." The president-elect also explained they were "just friends" and called the rapper a "good man." (Trump once called for a Kanye West boycott after the 2009 VMAs incident with Taylor Swift. For his part, West included a naked Trump in his controversial "Famous" video earlier this year.) West declined to comment on today's meeting meeting, saying only "I just want to take a picture right now." Trump did not indicate whether West will perform at his inauguration.
Meanwhile E! claims that Trump's team requested the meeting and that "Trump is interested in getting West involved in an 'entrepreneurial leadership role.'"
https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/808769227847036941
