Kanye West met Republican President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday to discuss what he said were “multicultural issues” including bullying, education and violence.
West’s meeting at Manhattan’s Trump Tower sent social media into a frenzy and fueled speculation about a possible performance at Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration or an informal administration role for the rapper.
West, 39, said on Twitter that he had wanted to meet Trump “to discuss multicultural issues.”
“These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago,” tweeted the singer who was raised in Chicago.
“I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.”
The 15-minute meeting was the first major outing by West and generated his first tweets since he was released on Nov. 30 after a week in a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital with an unexplained condition. It quickly became the top trending topic on Twitter.
The “Jesus Walks” singer again teased the prospect of running for president himself, adding a last tweet that said simply #2024. Last year, West declared he was planning to run in 2020, but has given no details.
Asked about the purpose of the meeting, Trump told reporters afterward: “Friends, just friends. He’s a good man. Long time. Friends for a long time.”
Trump added that the two had “discussed life.”
