Kanye West likes Trump; it’s racist to conclude that he must be insane

Wednesday was quite a whirlwind as hip hop and politics collided when rapper Kanye West posted several pro-Trump tweets, sending many of his fans to their breaking point.

Now, several liberal personalities are blaming Kanye West’s pro-Trump tweets on his mental health.

Now, whether you agree or disagree with West’s political views, the glib dismissal of his behavior on Twitter as symptomatic of a mental health issue is incredibly problematic. It’s basically racist to say that a successful black man who is a self-made multimillionaire can’t think whatever he wants to think without having his mental health questioned or being viewed as a race traitor.

Politically speaking, West has been all over the map. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, West said, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

He met with Barack Obama during his 2008 campaign and rapped that his 2012 opponent Mitt Romney “don’t pay no tax.”

After Trump won the 2016 presidential election, Kanye West met with him at Trump Tower and even said he would have voted for him if he voted at all.

Why is it that being a Trump supporter is the breaking point for so many of Kanye West’s fans? People think he’s trying to sell albums and sneakers – which he is – and is using Twitter as a marketing ploy in order to get the word out.

To echo a point made by my colleague, Emily Jashinsky, in which West “knows exactly what he’s doing” right now, I’d take it even a step further: Kanye West has always been this way.

He’s always been a egotistical narcissist who remains loyal to his friends and family through thick and thin. Trump just so happens to be Kanye West’s friend. If we’ve learned anything from this past week, it’s that Kanye has grown to the point where he doesn’t take politics personally, even if he does with everything else (see: South Park).

The Washington Post’s David Swerdlick makes the argument that West fell for the Republican pitch that black voters are slaves to the Democratic Party. Meanwhile, you have West’s friend, Chance the Rapper, tweet out his support of West with this:

Swerdlick’s argument is a bit more cut and dry than Chance the Rapper’s. The former is arguing that if you’re not a Democrat, you’re a Republican, while the latter is simply arguing you don’t have to align yourself politically with the majority of people who share your same skin color, ethnicity, religion, sexual preference, or gender. He’s right.

Bottom line: It’s okay for Kanye West, or any person of any background whatsoever, to think whatever and however they want. Question why they feel that way. Criticize them if you must for holding unsound ideas. But, please, let’s not dismiss people outright or accuse them of being “race traitors” or any other such ugly, fascistic epithet just because they go against temporary, changeable societal norms in choosing their political views or favored candidates. In a country where we should have free and civil debate, we’re really just exposing our own intolerance.