Not every great artist is a tortured genius. But when it comes to the most afflicted creators among us, is it ever okay to ignore their personal sins for the sake of the art? It might depend on the artist — and the artwork.
Japanese pop artist <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/26/arts/yayoi-kusama-dead.html">Yayoi Kusama</a> recently died at the age of 97. She was the one who did the polka-dot stuff and caused a ruckus with phallic motifs in the 1960s. But her most enduring controversy was that she was deeply racist at her core — at least, according to a few lines from her 2002 autobiography. 
The worst of it involved her vivid descriptions of her New York City neighborhood. She claimed there were “black people shooting each other out front, and homeless people sleeping there.” <a href="https://news.artnet.com/art-world/yayoi-kusma-racism-sfmoma-2378803">She also</a> “envisioned America as a land full of these strange, barefooted children and virgin primeval forests.” She called the people “exotic.” She apologized.
Kusama suffered from <a href="https://unitlondon.com/2018-05-14/yayoi-kusama-and-psychedelic-schizophrenia/">hallucinations</a>, anxiety, severe depression, and <a href="https://en.studiomercado.com/post/a-life-between-going-crazy-and-healing-yayoi-kusama">OCD</a>. Her Instagrammable infinity spaces and otherworldly sculptures delivered an infinitesimal peek behind the curtain of her heavy bangs. As an interactive element during her exhibit at The Broad in Los Angeles, my friends and I covered ourselves in polka-dot stickers, a sort of camouflage in front of polka-dot walls. Maybe that’s how Kusama saw all of us: as “exotic” creatures, roaming free, unencumbered by the prison of her mind. 
During my four years of art school, I dove headfirst into figure drawing, design, and classical painting techniques. Impressionist, cubist, surrealist, abstract expressionist — the kind of work that can never be reproduced by hungover undergrads or anyone, ever again. Of course, some of those figures of fine art were a little off their rockers. 
Caravaggio painted the masterwork “Narcissus,” but also <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Caravaggio/Continued-successes-and-the-murder-of-Tomassoni">killed</a> a guy in an illegal street duel. Maybe you know Picasso’s “Guernica,” but not how his <a href="https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/masters-and-monsters-7-brilliant-artists-1740559530.html">toxic</a> behavior drove his lady muses to take their own lives. Van Gogh sawed off his own ear during an alleged psychotic episode, but check out those sunflowers and “Starry Night.”
Maybe it would have been cooler if Picasso were boyfriend material, strumming his acoustic at bonfires, painting dumb art that never saw the light of day. But we got this guy. And paintings that sell for <a href="https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5895962">$180 million</a> and make headlines when they’re heisted. 
I think it’s okay to separate the art from the artist, or the product from the truth about the person who made it. I’m reminded of my leftie acquaintances in L.A. reading headlines about Chick-fil-A’s biblical values and going on a rampage swearing never to eat “at the place that contributes to anti-LGBTQ stuff” again. But then still secretly eating Chick-fil-A. Because the chicken was more valuable than the “evil” company mission. Christians, of course, would probably agree that both the Bible and the chicken are divine.
It’s also easy to engage in a little 21st-century snobbery, looking back on “history” — sometimes mere months old — from the highest horse. Pass me my rose-colored morality glasses; I have some judging to do. 
Maybe you’ve seen news of fashion designer <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/press-releases/spring-ci-2027-announcement">John Galliano</a>’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/met-gala-cancels-celebration-of-nazi-loving-designer-following-major-backlash">booting</a> from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After much fanfare surrounding an upcoming honor from Vogue’s Anna Wintour at the 2027 Met Gala, his name and his accompanying exhibit were scratched from the event. It was a prestigious honor, given only to two other designers during their lifetimes. But Galliano also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/notorious-antisemite-to-be-honored-by-met-gala-after-jewish-leaders-sign-off">said some things</a> about Jewish people that typically don’t make the best first impression on strangers. Something about wanting certain people dead via specific measures.
Knowing his history, Wintour still chose him for the honor. An <a href="https://robshuter.substack.com/p/exclusive-real-reason-anna-wintour?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=4354752&amp;post_id=213588584&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=true&amp;r=8p7ynn&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email">insider</a> reportedly claimed, “Anna knew everything. She believed his genius outweighed his appalling behavior.” Later, she and the Museum committee caved to internet backlash, and Galliano withdrew. 
But I kind of agree with fashion’s apex skeleton on this one. Talking out of his behind, as they say, Galliano messed up. He apologized, claiming he was on drugs at the time of his outburst. You could argue that he wouldn’t have said those things (drugs or not) if he didn’t believe them. That may be true, but as Wintour noted, his clothing designs are still stunning. 
Then, of course, there’s Michael Jackson. We’re supposed to hate him because of his personal life. Only Bubbles, the pet chimpanzee, knows the objective truth. But we got “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” and “Beat It” from MJ. There’s something about the chorus of “Earth Song” that feels like rock gospel screaming to the heavens. I’m not even thinking about Neverland Ranch; I’m seeing myself. You. Humanity. Art mirroring our souls and reflecting our human experience. The complete picture. Including our darkest pain.
MJ transcended his own trauma to create something bigger than himself. And he leveraged other brilliantly tormented talents such as Quincy Jones, Freddie Mercury, and Paul McCartney to do it. Maybe, from the outside, we can do two things at once: holding MJ accountable while riding the musical wave to a higher plane. In 2026, “Michael” was the first biopic to pass <a href="https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/michael-billion-dollar-box-office-benchmark-biopic-record-1236802496/">$1 billion</a> in global box office sales, proving there were plenty of fans willing to do just that. Hee-Hee Woo!
Here’s the thing. I will defend art for art’s sake until the end of time because I believe that once beautiful art disappears, society may be doomed. But even in the creative world, we need parameters. The art must be unequivocally greater than the transgressions of its creator, otherwise we end up torturing ourselves.
Despite his influence in music as we know it, Kanye “Ye” West seems determined to tip the scales in favor of his personal demons. I’m still holding out hope for his art — I’ll do anything for “Stronger” and “Gold Digger” at the gym — but there comes a point where the fun gets ruined by the story unfolding outside the studio. 
Still, there are always worse examples. A quick refresher about Adolf Hitler’s passion for watercolor painting. He could have made a name for himself using those talents, but he chose a different path. (What’s that poem about how <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken">two roads diverged in a yellow wood</a>?) This is why no one should care that some of Hitler’s paintings are currently sitting in a climate-controlled Army <a href="https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/paintings-by-adolf-hitler/">vault</a> in Virginia, never dispayed. Evil machinations overwhelmed his gift of imagination.
We’re lucky to share this moment with those brave enough to create something, put it out there, and let the rest of us interpret it as we please. Along with classical music and art, please give me a conversation-starting <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-bananas-duct-taped-to-the-wall-are-worth-millions-hungry-museumgoers-keep-eating-them-180987017/">duct-taped banana</a> or a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXKE0nAMmg4">self-shredding Banksy</a> any day of the week. I would also happily live the rest of my days inside a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuGb73dMuVI">James Turrell skyspace</a> installation — the greatest controversial take being an altered perception of time, space, and seeing in the first place. 
But perhaps the proper response isn’t separating the art from the artist at all. Maybe it’s recognizing the humanity it took to create something beautiful.
“I don’t think we can separate the art from the artist, nor should we need to,” Australian songwriter and writer <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/nick-cave-doesnt-think-we-can-separate-the-art-from-the-artist-nor-should-we-need-to-2944075?utm_source=chatgpt.com">Nick Cave</a> once wrote. “I think we can look at a piece of art as the transformed or redeemed aspect of an artist, and marvel at the miraculous journey that the work of art has taken to arrive at the better part of the artist’s nature. Perhaps beauty can be measured by the distance it has travelled to come into being.”
***
This article is part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/upstream" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upstream</a>, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.

Is It Wrong To Love Great Art Made By Terrible People?

art and artist controversy

arts

john galliano

kanye west

michael jackson

yayoi kusama

Disgraced British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday and will remain in custody pending deportation, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday. 
Yiannopoulos, a 41-year-old British citizen, was arrested at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. DHS said he legally entered the United States through New York City on May 14, 2019, but overstayed his visa.
An immigration judge issued Yiannopoulos a final order of removal on July 22 after he failed to appear for an immigration hearing, according to DHS.
&#8220;On August 27, ICE arrested Milo Yiannopoulos, an illegal alien from the United Kingdom,&#8221; the department said. &#8220;He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws.&#8221;
DHS said Yiannopoulos would remain in ICE custody pending removal and used his arrest to promote the administration&#8217;s self-deportation program.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On August 27, ICE arrested Milo Yiannopoulos, an illegal alien from the United Kingdom, at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) in Kenner, Louisiana. Yiannopoulos legally entered the country on May 14, 2019, through New York City, New York. He chose to… <a href="https://t.co/Hk6QBUmGDI">https://t.co/Hk6QBUmGDI</a> <a href="https://t.co/DbIhv8Z6PI">pic.twitter.com/DbIhv8Z6PI</a>
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2093428821835796688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/28/milo-yiannopoulos-detained-ice/">TMZ</a> first reported that immigration officers had apprehended Yiannopoulos at the airport ahead of a Kanye West concert scheduled for Friday night in New Orleans.
Yiannopoulos previously served as West’s chief of staff and political director. The former Breitbart News editor also served as an unpaid summer intern for former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2022.
Yiannopoulos&#8217; career collapsed in 2017 after footage surfaced in which he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/20/milo-yiannopoulos-denies-supporting-paedophilia-cpac-online-video#:~:text=The%20American%20Conservative%20Union%20has%20rescinded%20its,hung%20up%20on%20this%20child%20abuse%20thing”.">argued</a> that relationships between older men and younger boys could be a positive &#8220;coming-of-age&#8221; experience.
He<a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/02/21/milo-yiannopoulos-resigns-as-editor-of-breitbart-tech#"> stated</a> that such relationships could &#8220;help those young boys discover who they are and give them security and safety and provide them with love and a reliable sort of rock, where they can&#8217;t speak to their parents.&#8221;
That same year, footage <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dallas-bar-owner-explains-night-group-sang-while-giving-nazi-salute/">surfaced</a> of Yiannopoulos in 2016 singing at a Dallas bar as members of the crowd gave Nazi salutes. The bar&#8217;s owner said the staff began removing the group once the &#8220;Neo-Nazi type stuff&#8221; started, saying the establishment did not condone it.
He also dismissed concerns about statutory rape laws, stating that people can &#8220;get quite hung up on this child abuse thing&#8221; and that sexual relationships between 13-year-olds and adults could be &#8220;perfectly consensual&#8221; and beneficial under certain circumstances.
Prominent right-wing influencers have accused Yiannopoulos of working with the Left in recent years to sow division within the MAGA coalition, including by making false statements about conservative figures such as the late Charlie Kirk.
“Milo is not ‘Far-Right.’ Milo was working for the Left to divide, slander and lie about Trump’s coalition to break it apart,” conservative podcaster Benny Johnson <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2093420017735872757?s=20">said</a> on X. “Days after Charlie Kirk was murdered, he accused Charlie of being gay and cheating on Erika. Evil, sick lie. Zero remorse. Zero evidence. Pure sewage and slander. It happened systematically to nearly everyone of prominence in the America First movement.”
Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who has long raised questions about Yiannopoulos’ immigration status, took to social media to celebrate his detention and pointed to her previous claim that he arranged a <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/1997843889676300529?s=20">“sham marriage”</a> with a man to remain in the United States.
“When Milo called for me to be assassinated, I reported him to ICE and the FBI,” right-wing activist Laura Loomer <a href="https://x.com/LauraLoomer/status/2093387128717951297?s=20">said</a>, accusing the influencer of overstaying his visa. “I told you all that Milo was an illegal alien. Milo is going to be deported back to the UK where he can live among the Muslims he has recently chosen to embrace.” 
Questions over Yiannopoulos&#8217; lifestyle resurfaced last year when, in an <a href="https://x.com/yashar/status/1996294772575900133?s=20">interview with Tucker Carlson</a>, he called “mainstreaming homosexuality in the Republican Party” one of his biggest regrets.
“It has given rise to horrors I never imagined,” he told Carlson. “Well, the gay horrors I’ve given birth to — Lady MAGA and Nick Fuentes — they keep me up at night.”

World Premiere Of James O’Keefe’s Debut Film “Line In The Sand”

Disgraced Provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos Detained By ICE, Set For Deportation

deportation

laura loomer

milo yiannopoulos

Reality star Kim Kardashian promoted a jarring magazine cover spread of her 13-year-old daughter North West on Tuesday, sparking a wave of backlash directed at the celebrity mother.
The shocking photos show North rocking heavy makeup, bright blue hair, long fake fingernails, multiple piercings on her face, and a teal grill for her teeth. Kardashian posted the cover photos to multiple social media accounts, where she has hundreds of millions of followers, and captioned it, &#8220;Northie for Dazed,&#8221; adding a blue heart emoji.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
northie for <a href="https://x.com/Dazed?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dazed</a> 🩵 <a href="https://t.co/KY1RpDZWp7">pic.twitter.com/KY1RpDZWp7</a>
— Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) <a href="https://x.com/KimKardashian/status/2092004179040743602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
Quickly, people online expressed their concerns over Kardashian&#8217;s parenting, and what they viewed as exploitation of North.
&#8220;I have a daughter the exact same age and I was so disturbed to see what this poor girl’s parents have done to her,&#8221; conservative writer Bethany Mandel <a href="https://x.com/bethanyshondark/status/2092431000005439883">wrote</a>.
The other side of the political aisle expressed the same disapproval. Liberal feminist writer Jill Filipovic <a href="https://x.com/JillFilipovic/status/2092298828695130380">posted</a> on X, &#8220;This child is 13 years old. I truly have nothing but contempt for parents who put their kids in the public eye, exploit them for money and influence, and don’t protect their childhoods and their privacy. This poor kid.&#8221;
Kardashian&#8217;s post on X racked up millions of views in a matter of hours. Some who commented noted the apparent absence of Kanye West, North&#8217;s father, in the young girl&#8217;s life. West has spoken publicly about his bipolar diagnosis and manic episodes. A source close to Kardashian recently said the reality star was effectively raising her children as a &#8220;single mom,&#8221; though the extent of West&#8217;s involvement in his children&#8217;s lives is not publicly clear.
Kardashian has previously said that she does not keep her and West&#8217;s children away from him, but acknowledged that when West is struggling with his mental health, he often does not want to see the children. She also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6wCuvvaRPI">said</a> she may limit or modify visits when his behavior becomes “really super unhealthy” in order to protect their children.
West, meanwhile, has repeatedly blasted Kardashian publicly over her decision to allow North on social media. In 2022, West posted a screenshot from social media of North, then just 8 years old, and slammed his ex for allowing the exposure against his will. “I am her father,” he said at the time, adding that he didn&#8217;t want North “used by TikTok.&#8221; Reports circulating in 2024 estimated that North could potentially earn upwards of $30,000 per TikTok post, adding fuel to criticism and speculation that North was being exploited.
Kardashian has defended allowing North on social media, saying that the child has adult supervision.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kim-kardashian-insists-moon-landing-was-fake-like-go-to-tiktok-see-for-yourself?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kim+Kardashian+Insists+Moon+Landing+Was+Fake%3A+‘Like%2C+Go+To+TikTok%2C+See+For+Yourself’">Kim Kardashian Insists Moon Landing Was Fake: ‘Like, Go To TikTok, See For Yourself’</a>

GettyImages-2274566286

Kim Kardashian Criticized Over Outrageous Mag Cover Of 13-Year-Old Daughter

Kim Kardashian Criticized Over Outrageous Mag Cover Of 13YO North West

kardashian

lifestyle

north west

parenting

pop culture

Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal to apologize for his past antisemitic outbursts.
The 48-year-old rapper blamed the rants on mental health issues caused by a car crash he was in over two decades ago.
“I lost touch with reality. Things got worse the longer I ignored the problem,” West wrote of his manic episodes in the <a href="https://x.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/2015795684901810395">advertisement</a> titled “To Those I’ve Hurt.” “I said and did things I deeply regret. Some of the people I love the most, I treated the worst. You endured fear, confusion, humiliation, and the exhaustion of trying to love someone who was, at times, unrecognizable. Looking back, I became detached from my true self.”
Over the years, Ye made social media statements and appeared in interviews praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and disparaging Jewish people. He also sold merchandise promoting these antisemitic views and came out with a single, “Heil Hitler,” in May 2025. 
One of the most viral examples of this was when Ye appeared on Alex Jones&#8217; &#8220;Infowars&#8221; podcast in 2022, during which he said, &#8220;Every human being has something of value that they bring to the table, especially Hitler.” He said the Nazis, “did good things too,&#8221; adding that, &#8220;We gotta stop dissing the Nazis all the time.”
Prior to that, Ye made several virulent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kanye-ye-west-i-like-hitler-i-see-good-things-about-hitler-stop-dissing-the-nazis-he-didnt-kill-6-million?author=Ryan+Saavedra&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Kanye+%E2%80%98Ye%E2%80%99+West%3A+%E2%80%98I+Like+Hitler%2C%E2%80%99+%E2%80%98I+See+Good+Things+About+Hitler%2C%E2%80%99+%E2%80%98Stop+Dissing+The+Nazis%2C%E2%80%99+%E2%80%98He+Didn%E2%80%99t+Kill+6+Million+Jews%E2%80%99">antisemitic statements</a>, including that he wanted to go “death con 3” on “JEWISH PEOPLE,” saying his children could learn “financial engineering” in a Jewish school. He blamed “Jewish Zionists” for his problems, blamed his marriage with Kim Kardashian ending due to “Zionist media handlers surrounding her,” and showed a list of the Jews that he believes control the media.
The rapper went on to describe what it was like inside his head during his rants. “You don’t think you’re sick,” he wrote, adding that it feels as though “everyone else is overreacting. You feel like you’re seeing the world more clearly than ever, when in reality you’re losing your grip entirely. Once people label you as ‘crazy,’ you feel as if you cannot contribute anything meaningful to the world.” 
He added, “The scariest thing about this disorder is how persuasive it is when it tells you: You don’t need help. It makes you blind, but convinced you have insight. You feel powerful, certain, and unstoppable.”
Ye said that during his “fractured state,” he “gravitated toward the most destructive symbol I could find, the swastika, and even sold t-shirts bearing it.”
Ye went on to say, “One of the difficult aspects of having bipolar type-1 are the disconnected moments — many of which I still cannot recall — that lead to poor judgment and reckless behavior that oftentimes feels like an out-of-body experience. I regret and am deeply mortified by my actions in that state, and am committed to accountability, treatment, and meaningful change. It does not excuse what I did, though. I am not a Nazi or an antisemite. I love Jewish people.”
The rapper later said that &#8220;the black community&#8221; is &#8220;unquestionably the foundation of who I am.&#8221;
&#8220;I am sorry to have let you down,&#8221; he wrote in the one-page spread. &#8220;I love us.&#8221;
Ye concluded by thanking his wife, Bianca Censori, for sticking by his side as he hit “rock bottom” several months ago. He also pleaded with fans and the public to be patient during his recovery.
The recording artist wrote that he’s found “much-needed clarity” and is putting his “energy into positive, meaningful art: music, clothing, design, and other new ideas to help the world.” 
“I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness. I write today simply to ask for you patience and understanding as I find my way home,” Ye concluded.

Kanye West

Kanye West Apologizes For Antisemitism: ‘I Lost Touch With Reality’

Kanye 'Ye' West Apologizes For Anti-Semitism: 'I Lost Touch With Reality'

Anti-Semitism

Celebrities

entertainment

President Donald Trump is stretching the “politics make strange bedfellows” saw to the breaking point.
Celebrity Nation leans aggressively to the Left, and anyone defying that groupthink puts their career at risk. Actor Zachary Levi said it out loud after he praised President Trump last year, calling the move <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/zachary-levi-endorsing-trump-lifeline-career-1236026923/">“career suicide.”</a>
That wasn’t the case in 2009, however, when celebrities flocked to President Barack Obama following his historic 2008 election. They pledged <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/celebrities-pledge-oath-obama/">to do whatever he told them to do</a>.
Different party, of course.
This past week, President Trump had recording artist Nicki Minaj indirectly singing his praises for drawing attention to a humanitarian crisis. The rapper took Trump’s side after the president called out the shocking slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.
Minaj, in connection with the administration, spoke before a UN event about the shocking headlines coming from the African nation.
<div id="attachment_1002653" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1002653" class="size-large wp-image-1002653" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-864x576.jpg" alt="Nicki Minaj" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Nicki-Minaj.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images</div>
&#8220;In Nigeria, Christians are being targeted … Churches have been burned, families have been torn apart &#8230; simply because of how they pray.&#8221;
She also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nicki-minaj-nigeria-christians-trump-be7b03a3f1d4e43747fa26e600be5d3f">thanked the president</a> for leading the way on the matter to “combat extremism and to bring a stop to violence against those who simply want to exercise their natural right to freedom of religion or belief.”
Trump critics contend that multiple religions have been targeted during the violence spree, and that the nation has sadly been the source of extreme violence for some time.
Minaj’s appearance understandably rocked pop culture, but it wasn’t the first time.
For starters, Trump’s second term features former Democrats like Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., his Director of National Intelligence and Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.
Journalist Megyn Kelly, who Trump once blistered during an early Q&amp;A, stumped for his presidency in the waning days of the 2024 campaign.
It’s Trump’s pop culture connections, though, that raise eyebrows the highest. Think Snoop Dogg, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Bill Maher, and others who famously linked arms with the president in the past.
It started during the President’s first White House foray. Rapper Kanye West hopped aboard the Trump Train, meeting with the world leader at Trump Tower in 2016 following an extended concert speech praising the real estate mogul.
Two years later, West wore a <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/snl-kanye-west-gave-pro-trump-speech-maga-hat-1148092/">red MAGA</a> hat on “Saturday Night Live” and praised Trump, but the artist’s string of antisemitic rants and emotional meltdowns caused his fame to curdle into its current, sorry state.
West’s former wife, Kim Kardashian, has arguably had a more productive relationship with Trump. The reality show starlet teamed with Trump on prison reform measures. Kardashian, ignoring a celebrity culture that raged against all things Trump, made the trek to the White House to personally push for her pet cause.
The wannabe lawyer and Trump <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51744918">discussed reform measures</a> aimed at first-time offenders and those she felt were treated unfairly. That public relations coup led to the 2018 release of three young mothers — Crystal Munoz, Judith Negron, and Tynice Hall, all tied to drug-related charges.
<div id="attachment_1004231" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004231" class="size-large wp-image-1004231" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-864x576.jpg" alt="U.S. President Donald Trump, right, listens as reality star and activist Kim Kardashian West speaks about a second chance hiring and re-entry initiative at an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday June 13, 2019. Kardashian West took a star turn at the White House on Thursday to promote efforts to help those leaving prison get jobs and stay on track. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-1149706439.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
She also played a role in the <a href="https://time.com/5486560/prison-reform-jared-kushner-kim-kardashian-west/">2018 bill</a> that expanded the criminal reform initiative, allowing prisoners to earn credits for early release among its measures. Kardashian wasn’t the only player who made that happen, but she became its public face via her social media empire.
Trump’s second term has seen more of the same, right from the jump.
Rapper Snoop Dogg infamously starred in a 2017 music video in which he <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/trump-hits-back-at-snoop-dogg-assassination-video-idUSKBN16O04V/">“shot” a clownish Trump stand-in</a>.
Future Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-39268735">blasted the clip</a>, telling TMZ at the time that, &#8220;If the wrong person sees that and gets the wrong idea, you could have a real problem.&#8221;
It was part of Hollywood’s collective wish for the real estate mogul to <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/celebrities-wished-trump-dead/">leave this mortal coil</a> during his first term.
The rapper/actor/pitchman apparently had a change of heart over time. By 2025, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-43733/snoop-dogg-trump-perform-inauguration">Snoop Dogg performed</a> at a pre-inauguration gala dubbed the Crypto Ball alongside Rick Ross and Soulja Boy. That’s despite previously calling anyone who performed for Trump during his first term “<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BPGvbw4jnvn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=embed_video_watch_again">Uncle Toms,” in a stereotypical, Stepin Fetchit-style voice</a>.
<div id="attachment_1004233" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004233" class="size-large wp-image-1004233" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-864x576.jpg" alt="SNL50: THE HOMECOMING CONCERT -- Pictured: (l-r) Snoop Dogg at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, February 14, 2025 -- (Photo by: Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/GettyImages-2199697788.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Arturo Holmes/Peacock via Getty Images</div>
The rapper even stood up to social media critics who trashed him for his about-face.
“Y’all can’t hate enough for me, I love too much,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BdjP-n8rIs">he told his critics</a>, via Entertainment Tonight. “We gotta pick each other up instead of putting each other down.”
Earlier this year, longtime Trump critic Bill Maher made the trek to the White House to break bread with his ideological foe. Maher got roasted for his trouble, including a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/opinion/larry-david-hitler-dinner.html">seething New York Times op-ed</a> from Larry David of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame.
Maher even suggested recently he’d like a second dinner with Trump while continuing to roast his leadership.
<div id="attachment_1004247" style="width: 1028px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1004247" class="size-large wp-image-1004247" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1018x576.jpg" alt="Screenshot: ClubRandom/YouTube.com" width="1018" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1018x576.jpg 1018w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-300x170.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-768x435.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock-1536x870.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Club-Random-maher-kid-rock.jpg 1793w" sizes=" (max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px" />Screenshot: ClubRandom/YouTube.com</div>
How did the initial Maher-Trump dinner happen in the first place? Singer Kid Rock, a repeat guest on Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, arranged for the unlikely meetup.
The wildest part of the dinner? Maher had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EwqzHsSEZY">Trump sign a list</a> of all the insults the president had thrown the comedian’s way over the years. Maher considers it a prized possession, one he has shown to his “Club Random” guests.
It took courage for stars to align with Trump during his first term.
Now, with a few more celebrities bucking conventional wisdom, the president’s “bedfellows” are looking a little less strange.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
* * *
<h3>Right now, DailyWire+ annual memberships are fifty percent off during our Black Friday sale. Join now at <a href="http://dailywire.com/blackfriday">dailywire.com/blackfriday</a>.</h3>

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The Strange Celebrity Universe Orbiting Donald Trump

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kim-kardashian">Kim Kardashian</a> was mercilessly booed at Netflix’s Tom Brady’s roast after taking the stage and attempting to start her bit on Sunday night.
During the 43-year-old reality star’s appearance at “The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady,” <a href="https://x.com/barstoolsports/status/1787288243957887110">Kardashian</a> was initially greeted with applause — but that was quickly drowned out by loud boos.
“Thank you,” Kardashian replied to the applause then attempted to roast Brady but once the boos got so loud and drowned her out, she only laughed and said, “All right, all right, all right.”
One of the comedian’s attending the event, Kevin Hart, could be overheard off camera reacting to the boos and said, “Whoa, whoa.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kim Kardashian getting the Goodell treatment <a href="https://t.co/ZIToNkavKJ">pic.twitter.com/ZIToNkavKJ</a>
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/PardonMyTake/status/1787286798860689747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;
Once the boos died down thanks to Hart, the “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star was finally able to start her jokes, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/kim-kardashian-booed-tom-brady-roast-1235890710/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
“I know there were some rumors that we were [dating], and I’d never say if we did or not,” Kardashian joked about Brady. “I’d just release a tape.”
“But I do know it would never work out,” she added, noting Brady’s “high cheekbones” and “silky hair. You remind me too much of my stepdad [Caitlyn Jenner] now.”
“Honestly, it’s hard for me to watch people roast you. But I think enough of my family members have helped defend former football players,”  Kardashian continued referencing her late-father Robert Kardashian, who was on O.J. Simpson’s murder trial defense team.
Comedian <a href="https://x.com/_MLFootball/status/1787451691207377031">Tony Hinchcliffe</a> gave a jab at Kardashian during his time at the roast of Brady.
“She’s [Kardashian] had a lot of Black men celebrating her end-zone,” Hinchcliffe said. “Kim, word of advice, close your legs. You have more public beef than Kendrick [Lamar] and Drake.”
When it was the retired Super Bowl-winning QB’s turn, he also took a turn jabbing at Kim with a reference to the reality star’s ex-husband and father to their four kids, rapper Kanye West 
“Thank you so much for being here,” <a href="https://x.com/ShooterMcGavin_/status/1787317505905594374">Brady</a> told the reality star. “I know Kim was terrified to be here tonight. Not because of this, but because her kids are home with their dad.”
Over on social media, it appeared many people felt the same way about the reception of Kardashian during the roast.
“Kim Kardashian got booed so bad last night at Tom Brady’s Roast that Kevin Hart had to step in and tell people to stop,” one person wrote with a laughing, crying face emoji.
Another added, “Kim Kardashian getting publicly booed at Tom Brady’s roast is one of the greatest things to ever happen ever.”
While a third person wrote, “Kim Kardashian being booed restores my faith in America.”

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian Gets Mercilessly Booed At Tom Brady Roast

Tom Brady

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kim-kardashian">Kim Kardashian</a> said her 10-year-old daughter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children">North</a> prefers a simpler existence with her father, musician <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kanye-west">Kanye West</a>.
The 43-year-old reality star made the revelation during the newest episode of the Hulu series “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/reality-tv">The Kardashians</a>,” which premiered Thursday, per <a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CBMiamh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmVvbmxpbmUuY29tL25ld3MvMTM4ODc4Ny93aHkta2ltLWthcmRhc2hpYW4tc2F5cy1ub3J0aC13ZXN0LXByZWZlcnMtbGl2aW5nLXdpdGgtZGFkLWthbnllLXdlc3TSAQA?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US%3Aen">E! News</a>. 
&#8220;North will go to her dad&#8217;s [West] and she [will say], &#8216;Dad&#8217;s is the best. He has it all figured out. He doesn&#8217;t have a nanny or a chef or security. He lives in an apartment,'&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Kim</a> said in a joint confessional with her sister Kourtney Kardashian.
&#8220;And she will start crying, &#8216;Why don&#8217;t you have an apartment? I can&#8217;t believe we don&#8217;t have an apartment.'&#8221;
Kourtney, who has three children (Mason, 13, Penelope, 11, and Reign, 8) with her ex-boyfriend Scott Disick, said she’s had similar experiences with her kids.
&#8220;They do that at Scott&#8217;s, too. Like, &#8216;Dad has the best house. Your house sucks. He has the best house, it is not super big. The vibes are better,'&#8221; Kourtney lamented. &#8220;I feel like everything falls on the parent that is more involved.&#8221;
&#8220;They make their own food. That is amazing that you make Ramen,&#8221; Kim joked about her ex’s culinary skills. Kourtney replied, &#8220;You boil water and pour it onto some noodles.&#8221;
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Kim and West split in February 2021 and have had a rocky time co-parenting, with some fights playing out across the headlines. The former couple had four children together: North, plus Saint, 7, Chicago, 5, and Psalm, 4.
The SKIMS founder said part of her problem is having very high standards for fatherhood and what she wants for her children. 
“I had the best dad,” Kim said during a December 2022 podcast appearance, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/co-parenting-its-really-fing-hard-kim-kardashian-admits-kids-need-two-parents">reported</a>. “It’s hard. S*** like co-parenting, it’s really f***ing hard.”
“But I had the best dad,” she said again through her tears. “And I had the best memories and the greatest experience and that’s all I want for my kids. As long as they can have that, that’s what I would want for them.”
During the same conversation, Kim said she’ll “do anything to keep their lives as normal as possible.”
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/incredibly-proud-kim-kardashian-lands-nba-partnership">&#8216;Incredibly Proud&#8217;: Kim Kardashian Lands NBA Partnership</a>

Kim Kardashian and North Kardashian

Kim Kardashian Said Her 10-Year-Old Prefers Kanye’s Apartment Without ‘A Nanny Or A Chef Or Security’

Kim Kardashian Said Her 10-Year-Old Prefers Kanye's Apartment Without 'A Nanny Or A Chef Or Security'

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Kim Kardashian got emotional and broke down in tears as she talked about how &#8220;really f***ing hard&#8221; co-parenting her four children with her ex-Kanye West is, admitting that kids need two parents just like she had.
During the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kim-kardashian">42-year-old</a> reality star&#8217;s appearance on the &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5pBkYb0jSw&amp;t=1s">Angie Martinez IRL Podcast</a>,&#8221; the &#8220;Keeping Up With The Kardashians&#8221; alum said she wants her kids to have the same childhood she did and emphasized how important it is to have their dad as part of their lives.
&#8220;I had the best dad,&#8221; Kardashian explained, as she started to get choked up. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard. S**t like co-parenting, it&#8217;s really f***ing hard.&#8221;
&#8220;But I had the best dad,&#8221; she added again, through the tears. &#8220;And I had the best memories and the greatest experience and that&#8217;s all I want for my kids. As long as they can have that, that&#8217;s what I would want for them.&#8221;
https://twitter.com/defnoodles/status/1607464833225740288?s=20&#038;t=15-dyel2HDtOK-SMm2JCBQ
&#8220;So, if they don&#8217;t know things that are being said, or what&#8217;s happening in the world, why would I ever bring that energy to them?&#8221; Kardashian continued.  &#8220;That&#8217;s real heavy, heavy grown-up s***.  But they&#8217;re not ready to deal with it, and when they are, we&#8217;ll have those conversations &#8230; and I&#8217;ll be so prepared. But until then, I&#8217;ll do anything to keep their lives as normal as possible.&#8221;
At one point, the reality TV star talked about how she attempts to protect her kids from the world and what&#8217;s being said about their father, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kanye-west">45-year-old</a> rapper, following his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-kanye-ye-west-storms-out-of-tim-pool-interview-after-being-pressed-about-his-anti-semitic-views">anti-Semitic comments</a>.
&#8220;I definitely protected him [West], and I still will in the eyes of my kids, for my kids,&#8221; Kardashian explained. &#8220;So, in my home, my kids don&#8217;t know anything that goes on on the outside world. I&#8217;m holding on by a thread, I know I&#8217;m so close to [them becoming aware], but while it&#8217;s still that way, I will protect that to the end of the earth as long as I can.&#8221;
The reality star said all the kids but North aren&#8217;t on social media, and even then she said her and West&#8217;s 9-year-old has a TikTok account on Kardashian&#8217;s phone alone. &#8220;They&#8217;re just not on social media. They don&#8217;t see stuff.&#8221;
Kardashian and West divorced in 2022 after nearly seven years of marriage. The two share four kids together.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kim-kardashian-on-balenciaga-scandal-backlash-says-people-get-mad-no-matter-what-she-does">Kim Kardashian On Balenciaga Scandal Backlash, Says People Get Mad No Matter What She Does</a>

Kanye West & Kim Kardashian Leave K.West’s Sunday Service At Theatre Des Bouffes Du Nord – Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Fall/Winter 2020/2021

‘Co-Parenting, It’s Really F***ing Hard’: Kim Kardashian Admits Kids Need Two Parents

'Co-Parenting, It’s Really F***ing Hard’: Kim Kardashian Admits Kids Need Two Parents

InfoWars owner and host Alex Jones on Tuesday spoke about his viral interview with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in a conversation with conservative comedian and political commentator Steven Crowder.
Crowder said he invited Jones onto his show &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tHqKdM3GmU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louder with Crowder</a>&#8221; to provide some context after his &#8220;bumpy ride&#8221; interviewing Ye — who appeared on Infowars last week and praised Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party while simultaneously denying that six million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust.
&#8220;I knew it was a danger,&#8221; Jones told Crowder about bringing Ye on Infowars. &#8220;But I believed it wasn&#8217;t going to happen — I would have much rather had it been a big story, and a coming together, an awakening, and then have a relationship with Ye instead of him blowing up like a sun going supernova, burning himself up.&#8221;
Jones said he brought Ye onto his platform last week to discuss issues on which the rapper and fashion designer would campaign pending a presidential run in 2024.
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Ye, however, apparently jumped into his rant right away.
&#8220;He was like a whirlwind,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;You couldn&#8217;t shut him up. He was going to say what he was going to say.&#8221;
West&#8217;s comments about Hitler follow a series of anti-Semitic remarks he made in recent weeks, which have led to upending many of his business pursuits, Elon Musk suspending his Twitter account, and reaching a divorce settlement with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian where the court ordered him to pay 200,000 a month in child support.
The rapper has also been seen recently with British provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, who accompanied Ye as uninvited guests in an apparent ambush orchestrated by Yiannopoulos to an exclusive diner with former President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home two days before Thanksgiving.
Ye, who has yet to formally announce his bid for U.S. President in 2024, recently parted ways with Yiannopoulos in a &#8220;mutual conclusion&#8221; with the rapper to &#8220;step away from his political team,&#8221; The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/milo-yiannopoulos-allegedly-slaps-ye-with-a-dollar100k-bill-for-campaign-consulting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Yiannopoulos, who admitted he was the &#8220;architect&#8221; inviting Fuentes to Ye&#8217;s dinner with Trump, allegedly billed the rapper $116,000 for his work, which led to the fallout between both parties.
Amid all the controversy surrounding Ye, the Infowars host told Crowder he still invited West onto his show to share his &#8220;intellectual side&#8221; before concluding the 21 Grammy award-winning artist was not well-versed in his World War II history.
&#8220;I just think what happened was he decided to go all the way,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;He decided to try to be as shocking as possible and say screw the world. And then, once he started pressing on the dopamine button of saying the things he said — he just couldn&#8217;t stop. And so it became just the situation of red lining the engine the entire time he was on.&#8221;
Jones referred to Ye as a &#8220;savant&#8221; who wants to be a &#8220;big revolutionary,&#8221; but he and Crowder noted Ye&#8217;s disconnect with his remarks about Hitler and the Nazis.
Ye has spoken openly about his pro-life stance on abortion, which contradicts Hitler&#8217;s views on the right to life, according to both talk show hosts.
Jones claims Hitler adopted the eugenicist views of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, who subscribed to Socialist ideologies — like the Nazi Party leader. According to Planned Parenthood&#8217;s <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/who-we-are/our-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>, eugenics is described as an &#8220;inherently racist and ableist ideology that labeled certain people unfit to have children.&#8221;
Crowder and Jones said despite Ye&#8217;s rants on Hitler and Nazism, they don&#8217;t believe the rapper has &#8220;hate in his heart.&#8221;
&#8220;At the end of the day, that&#8217;s not the case,&#8221; Jones said. &#8220;The left has adopted so many of the actual Nazi tactics of control and their whole system of lockdowns,&#8221; referring to the Chinese Communist Party controlling citizens by white medical uniformed members. &#8220;That&#8217;s the real type of ideology that the Nazis were striving for.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s what I would try to tell [Ye] . . . when he&#8217;s not as manic,&#8221; Jones said.

Alex Jones Speaks To The Media Outside The Sandy Hook Trial In Waterbury, Connecticut

‘He Was Like A Whirlwind’: Alex Jones Weighs In On Viral ‘Anti-Semitic’ Interview With Ye

Alex Jones

Steven Crowder

Incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called anti-Semitism the &#8220;oldest disease&#8221; in the world.
Appearing on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-netanyahu-antisemitism-is-the-oldest-disease-156139589748" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet the Press</a>&#8221; Sunday, Netanyahu, who will return for a third stint as prime minister, blamed the rise of anti-Semitism on increased polarization in the internet age. He also condemned the recent anti-Semitic outburst from rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and said that former President Donald Trump was wrong for recently having dinner with the musician.
&#8220;It&#8217;s the oldest disease,&#8221; Netanyahu said. &#8220;It&#8217;s been around as a systemic ideology for around 2500 years, 500 years before the rise of Christianity, actually. So it&#8217;s accompanied our history, with horrific results, over the centuries, and it&#8217;s not gonna go away&#8230; But I think that free societies have to take a consistent position to condemn anti-Semitism, to stand up against it, and to do so consistently.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s the melding, the fusion of the anti-Semitism from the extreme radical left and the extreme radical right,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It fuses into Jew-hatred. The communists blame the Jews for being capitalist, the capitalists blame the Jews for being communist. You have a problem, blame the Jews&#8230; It&#8217;s gotten extra life, probably, in the United States and in other countries by the age of the internet.&#8221;
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Netanyahu went on to criticize former President Trump for hosting Ye, who has made multiple odious comments attacking Jewish people and praising Nazis in recent weeks.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not merely unacceptable, it&#8217;s just wrong, and I hope he sees his way to staying out of it and condemning it.&#8221;
But Netanyahu seemed to pin the blame squarely on Ye, speculating that his recent outbursts were more about his personality than how he really views the world.
&#8220;Whoever says it, for whatever reason, it&#8217;s wrong. You don&#8217;t praise [Adolf] Hitler. How can you praise Hitler? Hitler was the greatest mass killer of all time. So anybody who praises him is wrong. Anybody who meets with him and gives him legitimacy is wrong. I&#8217;ve said as much, and I&#8217;ll continue to say it.&#8221;
In early October, Ye claimed on Instagram that fellow rapper Diddy was controlled by Jewish people. He later tweeted, then <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/video/kanye-ye-west-apologizes-anti-223700055.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologized,</a> for a tweet attacking Jewish people. Ye doubled down on the comments in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ye-west-turns-latest-interview-into-disturbing-anti-semitic-rant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on the &#8220;Drink Champs Round Three&#8221; podcast, claiming that “Jewish people have owned the black voice.&#8221; Last week, Ye walked out of an interview on the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-kanye-ye-west-storms-out-of-tim-pool-interview-after-being-pressed-about-his-anti-semitic-views" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timcast IRL</a>&#8221; podcast after being pressed on his anti-Semitic comments. In a wild interview with InfoWars&#8217; owner Alex Jones on Thursday, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kanye-ye-west-i-like-hitler-i-see-good-things-about-hitler-stop-dissing-the-nazis-he-didnt-kill-6-million" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised Hitler</a> and the Nazis and denied that six million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust.

Benjamin Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu: Anti-Semitism Is ‘The Oldest Disease,’ Given ‘Extra Life’ In The Internet Age

Benjamin Netanyahu: Anti-Semitism Is 'The Oldest Disease,' Given 'Extra Life' In The Internet Age

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Joe Biden</a> took an apparent shot at his predecessor while condemning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elon-musk-suspends-kanye-ye-west-from-twitter-issues-1-word-statement-after-his-decision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kanye West&#8217;s anti-Semitic statements</a> Friday, but Biden has been silent on anti-Jewish bigotry from members of his own party while many Jewish leaders deem Trump a friend of Israel.
West has been spouting anti-Semitic hate since an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-was-a-setup-nbc-report-details-how-west-yiannopoulos-blindsided-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apparent dinner ambush</a> of Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home two days before Thanksgiving. West, who brought a pair of uninvited guests known for their anti-Semitic views, followed up the dinner with interviews including a Thursday session with Alex Jones in which he lavished praise on Adolf Hitler. In condemning West&#8217;s comments, Biden appeared to accuse Trump of giving the spiraling rap and fashion mogul a forum, although he did not use his name.
“I just want to make a few things clear: The Holocaust happened,” Biden tweeted. “Hitler was a demonic figure. And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. Silence is complicity.”
Trump, whose daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, are Orthodox Jews, has said he only agreed to meet with West because they have known each other for years and West appears to be in the throes of a meltdown that some believe was brought on by mental illness.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I just want to make a few things clear:
The Holocaust happened. 
Hitler was a demonic figure. 
And instead of giving it a platform, our political leaders should be calling out and rejecting antisemitism wherever it hides. 
Silence is complicity.
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1598714500286406657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Biden had no such rebuke last year for the far-Left Democrat lawmakers known as &#8220;The Squad&#8221; when they accused Israel of imposing “apartheid” and committing acts of “terrorism” against Palestinians, <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-democrats-accuse-colleagues-of-antisemitism-over-israel-criticism/">The Times Of Israel</a> reported. Those claims from Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Cori Bush (D-MO) prompted four Jewish House Democrats to write Biden seeking his response. If he offered one, it was never made public.
Trump, on the other hand, made no secret of his pro-Israel agenda during his presidency. Rabbi Dov Fischer, in a November 30 <a href="https://spectator.org/on-trump-kanye-biscuit-jews-and-dinners/">article in The American Spectator</a>, praised Trump for a host of pro-Israel actions.
&#8220;After nearly half a century of broken promises by other American presidents, Trump formally declared and America recognized United Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,&#8221; wrote Fischer. &#8220;He moved America’s Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.&#8221;
Fischer went on to praise Trump for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights; affirming Jewish communities and cities in Judea and Samaria; cutting off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to the Palestinian Authority over its payments to the families of terrorists; closing down the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington, D.C.; pulling the U.S. out of the anti-Israel U.N. Human Rights Council; and cutting off <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-cuts-nearly-300-million-in-aid-for-palestinian-refugees">$300 million in funding</a> to the <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/weekly-standard/the-overseers-of-jenin">UNRWA, a UN agency</a> that runs schools where Muslim children are taught to hate Jews.
Trump also helped bring about the Abraham Accords, a deal in which several key Arab Muslim countries entered into peace agreements with Israel.
Biden, in his current administration and in his role as former President Obama&#8217;s vice president, has been accused of <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-leaks-info-about-israel-the-obama-biden-administration-was-infamous-for-that/">leaking information</a> damaging to Israel. As a senator from Delaware 40 years ago, Biden was famously dressed down by legendary Prime Minister Menachem Begin when he pounded a table at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing to underscore his demand that Israel stop establishing new Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria.
&#8220;This desk is designed for writing, not for fists,&#8221; Begin replied. &#8220;Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think that because the U.S. lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-leaks-info-about-israel-the-obama-biden-administration-was-infamous-for-that/">Biden Administration Leaks Info About Israel. The Obama-Biden Administration Was Infamous For That.</a>

President Biden Welcomes French President Macron To The White House

Biden Appears To Swipe At Trump Over Kanye West Comments, But Jewish Leaders Praise Trump’s Pro-Israel Record

Biden Appears To Swipe At Trump Over Kanye West Comments, But Jewish Leaders Praise Trump's Pro-Israel Record

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rashida tlaib

Let&#8217;s cut right to the chase:
1: Kanye&#8217;s stupid. 
2: Ye&#8217;s having a psychotic episode. 
3: Saint Pablo thinks he can say anything and get away with it. 
4: Yeezy just wants to be done with it all so he&#8217;s burning his life down.
Me, I&#8217;m leaning on 4, but keeping my options open on 2.
That&#8217;s the best I&#8217;ve got. If you&#8217;ve got another theory, hit me up at the email address below (I&#8217;m open to other explanations).
In case you missed it, West on Thursday praised Adolf Hitler and Nazis in a bizarre interview with far-right radio host Alex Jones.
&#8220;I like Hitler,&#8221; said West, who was wearing a full head cover that made him look like a mannequin. He fixed it a bit later, saying, &#8220;I love Jewish people,&#8221; but he lost it again when he added, &#8220;but I also love Nazis.”
At another point, Ye said, &#8220;The Jewish media has made us feel like the Nazis and Hitler have never offered anything of value to the world. I see good things about Hitler, also.&#8221;
Jones laughed and interjected, &#8220;Well, I have to disagree with that.&#8221; When you&#8217;ve got Jones to the Left of you, you&#8217;ve done something wrong.
So let&#8217;s work through my possible explanations.
First, West isn&#8217;t stupid. He might not be book smart, but he sure as hell is smart (dummies don&#8217;t become billionaires by building massive empires in music, fashion, and art). So I&#8217;m discarding that one.
Second, Kanye&#8217;s having a mental health issue. This is a strong possibility. West was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2016 but didn&#8217;t make that public until his 2018 album Ye. Months after that, he told President Donald Trump that it was a &#8220;misdiagnosis.&#8221;
I&#8217;ve got some experience with schizophrenia (my aunt, my son) and I think Ye is on that spectrum. Medication (once the right combination is found — and that&#8217;s not easy) can help, but psychotic episodes could still occur. When they do, rational thought goes out the window — but to the sufferer, everything still seems to make perfect sense.
Third, Yeezy thinks he can just say whatever he wants and get away with it. Trump, one of his heroes, has the same delusion. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Trump said at a campaign rally in January 2016 — and he still won.
But West must&#8217;ve at least learned a little lesson the last time he bashed Jewish people, when his sponsors bailed on him in droves and he lost a reported $1 billion.
So, fourth. The more I think about it, this one makes the most sense (after excluding No. 2, of course). What if you just wanted to be done with it all — the fame, the paparazzi, everything? You can&#8217;t just put out a bad album (he has), charge $1,000 for sneakers (he does), or allege that Jews run Hollywood (that&#8217;s an old saw many have played before).
Nope, you gotta go full Hitler. You&#8217;ve got to say that not only is Hitler not bad, he was actually good and offered things of &#8220;value&#8221; to the world. That one will rub just about everybody the wrong way (except for Mel Gibson).
And the Aussie actor is a good example of how to incinerate your entire life in one fell swoop. Overnight, Gibson was finished in Hollywood and disappeared.
Then again, I&#8217;m not sure Gibson is actually the best example here. He did disappear for a while, but then he made &#8220;Hacksaw Ridge.&#8221; It got nominated for a bunch of awards, and now he&#8217;s embraced by Hollywood again.
So that&#8217;s my best guess. Sure, it could be No. 2 (and when you&#8217;re a billionaire, no one can tell you what to do [think Michael Jackson using propofol, a powerful anesthesia, to go to sleep nightly]). In November 2016, he was committed to the UCLA Medical Center with hallucinations and paranoia. That&#8217;s schizophrenia. And that&#8217;s a lifelong malady.
And it could still be No. 3, maybe he thinks at this point he can just say anything.
One thing we know for sure: This mess isn&#8217;t over. Ye&#8217;s in the throes of &#8230; something, and it won&#8217;t end until it plays itself out fully. Unfortunately, there&#8217;s no stopping that now.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

“DONDA By Kanye West” Listening Event At Mercedes Benz Stadium In Atlanta, GA

There Are Only Four Ways To Explain Kanye West Right Now

There Are Only Four Ways To Explain Kanye Right Now

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