President Donald Trump has reportedly invited rap star Kanye West to dine with him at the White House this week, following West’s public defense of the president on the stage of Saturday Night Live at the end of September.
West met with then-President-elect Donald Trump in December of 2016, a month after the presidential election.
Earlier this year, West released a series of social media posts praising the president for his “dragon energy”, calling Trump his “brother”.
The 41-year-old rapper and music producer made another public show of support for the president at the end of the September 29th Saturday Night Live show in New York.
West, who had performed as the show’s musical guest that night, returned to the stage at the end of the show wearing a red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat – a trademark of the 2016 Trump campaign. During his impromptu address to the audience, West criticized the Democratic party over welfare policies, accused the media of liberal bias, and defended President Trump.
Following his appearance on Saturday Night Live, West received an invitation to the White House, two sources told The New York Times.
According to the report, West will meet with President Donald Trump and Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, at the White House this Thursday.
West is expected to first meet with Kushner before having lunch with the president.
A spokesperson for the rapper has confirmed that West is planning to meet with the president, though the White House has not responded to the report.
In May, West’s wife, social media star Kim Kardashian, met with President Trump to secure the release of a 63-year-old woman convicted of drug trafficking in 1996.