Donald Trump had an unusual idea to get Kanye West to use unity to “unify” the country during his presidency, according to a former White House staffer. Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as the Director of Strategic Communications, revealed this odd proposal during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Griffin described the concept as “dark” and recalled, “One day, he wanted to have Kanye West come and do a church service on the White House lawn to unify the country.” She joked, “I can think of a few things less unifying than that,” referring to Kanye’s history of controversial statements.
The plan did not come to pass. “We were like, ‘Not the time or place, sir,’” Griffin said with a laugh, indicating that the idea was quickly dismissed.
Kanye West and Donald Trump’s relationship has been both notable and complicated. Kanye first met Trump in December 2016 after Trump’s presidential victory, which surprised many fans and celebrities. Kanye stated on Twitter at the time, “I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues. I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.”
Trump praised Kanye as a “good man” and said they had been “friends for a long time.” They met again in the Oval Office two years later, where Kanye, wearing a Make America Great Again hat, delivered a lengthy and rambling speech covering topics like race relations, tax policies, and even a concept for a hydrogen-powered “iPlane 1.”
After a period of estrangement following an alleged insult to Kanye and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian, Kanye recently re-endorsed Trump for the 2024 election. When asked about voting for Trump, Kanye responded, “Yeah of course, it’s Trump all da. What you talking ’bout? You know what it is.”