WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Entertainer and Trump supporter Kanye West recently met with White House adviser and the son-in-law of President Jared Kushner, a source close to the meeting said on Wednesday as the entertainer strives to appeared at the November presidential election.
The New York Times, which first reported the meeting, said it took place in Colorado last weekend and also included President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, Kushner’s wife and another White House adviser.
West appeared to confirm the meeting in a tweet late Tuesday night, saying she was discussing a book on seizing Black Americans, and he offered to do a live interview with the Times.
Representatives for West could also not be reached immediately.
A rapper and dressmaker finally announced West’s presidential campaign last month, followed by a series of rumored public remarks that have raised questions about his intentions and mental health.
West has been open about his battle with bipolar disorder, and his wife, Kim Kardashian, has asked the public and media to sympathize with him.
West’s performance as independent of the vote could potentially disrupt the race between Trump, a Republican seeking re-election, and former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden if he were able to get votes in U.S. states where ‘. t the match is close.
The Washington Post reported last week that the West’s campaign has so far submitted petitions to appear on the ballot of the presidential election in 10 U.S. states and that Republican operatives, including some with ties to Trump, were involved in efforts to secure his candidacy to support at least five of them, including Arkansas, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Trump told syndicate radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday that he had not spoken to West about the entertainer’s campaign. Representatives for Trump’s campaign could not be reached immediately, but told the Post they were not involved.
West, 43, one of the president’s most famous and most prominent Black supporters, met with Trump during the 2016 presidential race and again in 2018 at the White House wearing a red “Make America Great” cap. Last month, he told Forbes that he ‘took off his red hat’.
Trump told Fox News last month that West’s support may not fall, adding: “He will always be there for us.”
Additional Reporting by Steve Holland; Written by Susan Heavey; Edited by Aurora Ellis
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