John Legend is opening up about Kanye West’s recent tweets praising Donald Trump.
The “All of Me” singer reached out to West personally about the issue on Thursday in a text message exchange, which the rapper then posted to Twitter.
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“I hope you reconsider aligning yourself with Trump. You’re way too powerful and influential to endorse who he is and what he stands for,” Legend wrote to West. “As you know, what you say really means something to your fans. They love and respect your opinion. So many people who love you feel so betrayed right now because they know the harm that Trump’s policies cause, especially to people of colour.”
Speaking to Ebro Darden Hot 97 radio on Friday, Legend said he wasn’t angry that West shared the private texts: “I’m not mad people saw it because at least they know where I’m coming from. I didn’t actually mind it after I thought about it for a second, but I was shocked when it first happened.”
Legend went on to discuss his own thoughts about why West took a stand in support of the U.S. president.
“I think Kanye, when he talks about Trump, he’s thinking about him more as a marketing triumph,” he explained. “I think he sees certain aspects of himself in Trump. He sees how brash he is and that he doesn’t give a f***, how nobody believed he was gonna win. How he defied all the odds and became president.”
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That said, while he understands some of West’s reasoning, Legend believe he is being inconsistent.
“He’s talking about free thought and Trump doesn’t even want a free press,” Legend said. “I don’t see how you align yourself with that and say you’re operating yourself from love.”
The singer also warned West that his new Trump-supporting fans are not necessarily to be trusted.
“These MAGA folks are all over his nuts right now and as soon as he says something about Taylor Swift, these are the same people calling him the N-word, everything they could possibly imagine,” he said.
