<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/" -->

---
title: Kanye West Trump White House Conference: Read the Transcript
description: Rapper Kanye West visited President Trump at the White House on Thursday, delivering an extended series of off-the-cuff remarks.
canonical: https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/
author: Raisa Bruner
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2018-10-11T18:00:01.000Z
article:modified_time: 2024-01-24T11:25:45.000Z
og:title: What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House
og:description: Here's exactly what Kanye West said at the White House meeting with Trump
og:url: https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt586c633651d64b7a/69893c69929fad8c86bf1cf3/kanye-west-donald-trump-white-house.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
og:image:width: 5184
og:image:height: 2916
og:image:alt: President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House
twitter:description: Here's exactly what Kanye West said at the White House meeting with Trump
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt586c633651d64b7a/69893c69929fad8c86bf1cf3/kanye-west-donald-trump-white-house.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt586c633651d64b7a/69893c69929fad8c86bf1cf3/kanye-west-donald-trump-white-house.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="16340a4a-aa71-405a-83eb-44ea26ff07ca" campaign="time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: September 2026.

## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=16340a4a-aa71-405a-83eb-44ea26ff07ca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Twice a week | time.com/newsletters, September 2026 |
| Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy.

### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements

*   D.C. Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   D.C. Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=16340a4a-aa71-405a-83eb-44ea26ff07ca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=16340a4a-aa71-405a-83eb-44ea26ff07ca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's politics newsletter?

D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week.

#### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email?

D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time.

#### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief?

Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief.

#### Is D.C. Brief free?

Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.

### Sources

*   TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=16340a4a-aa71-405a-83eb-44ea26ff07ca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's politics newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is D.C. Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->


<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MRDInjBH.m3u8" -->
## Video: Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House

[Watch (HLS stream): Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MRDInjBH.m3u8) (1:26)

![Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/MRDInjBH/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2018-10-11. Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House_


![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)


![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Raisa Bruner


Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:25 AM UTCPublished: Oct 11, 2018 6:00 PM UTC

Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House 

![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)


![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Raisa Bruner


Updated: Jan 24, 2024 11:25 AM UTCPublished: Oct 11, 2018 6:00 PM UTC

When rapper [Kanye West](http://time.com/5422100/kid-rock-kanye-west-trump-white-house/) visited with [President Donald Trump](http://time.com/5419515/donald-trump-numbers-reelection/) at the White House Thursday, he had a few things to say.

In an impassioned but sometimes difficult to follow 10-minute speech, West talked about the “male energy” of Trump’s 2016 campaign, the U.S. relationship with North Korea and his belief that he was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder.

“I tell you what, that was pretty impressive,” Trump said after West had finished speaking. “It was from the soul,” West responded. “I just channeled it.”


The Kanye West live stream above shows the pre-lunch meeting was also attended by former U.S. football player [Jim Brown](http://time.com/4602009/jim-brown-donald-trump/) and Trump’s son-in-law [Jared Kushner](http://time.com/5281226/kushner-family-666-fifth-avenue/).

West has been publicly supportive of Trump for several months, giving a similar speech to the audience after a performance on _Saturday Night Live_ that was not aired.

Here are some of the highlights from the full transcript of what Kanye West said at the Trump meeting.

## **Kanye West on uncertainty surrounding his bipolar diagnosis**

---

> “”

---


## **Kanye West on the 13th Amendment**

---

> “”

---

## **Kanye West on male energy**

---

> “”

---


## **Kanye West on Adidas**

---

> “”

---


## **Kanye West on Trump**

---

> “”

---

## Kanye West on a 68-year-old prisoner whose case he was raising with Trump

---

> “”

---

## Kanye West on his own speech

---

> “”

---


## Transcript

[00:00] I think it's the bravery that helps you beat this game
[00:00] called life. They tried to scare me to not wear this hat,
[00:06] my own friends. But this hat, it gives me
[00:11] power in a way. My dad and my
[00:15] mom separated, so I didn't have a lot of male energy
[00:19] In my home and also I'm married to a family that-
[00:22] [ LAUGH ] Not a lot of male energy
[00:27] going on. It's beautiful though. I love Hillary, I love
[00:31] everyone, right, but the campaign I'm With Her just
[00:34] didn't make me feel, as a guy that didn't get to see my
[00:34] dad all the time, like a guy that could play catch with
[00:37] his son,
[00:42] It was something about when I put this hat on, it made
[00:45] me feel like Superman. You made a Superman. That's
[00:48] my favorite superhero. And you made a Superman
[00:50] cape for me. Also as a guy that looks up to you, looks
[00:53] up to [ UNKNOWN ], Looks up to American industry
[00:53] guys. Non- political, one of the moves that I loved that
[00:56] Liberals tried to do The liberal will try
[01:02] to control a black person through the concept of
[01:04] racism because they know that we are very proud,
[01:07] emotional people. So when I said I like Trump to
[01:09] someone that's liberal, they'll say, but he's racist. You
[01:12] think racism can control me? That don't stop me.
[01:16] That's an invisible wall. This guy right here. Let me give
[01:18] this guy a hug. I love this guy
[01:22] right here. That's good. That's really nice.

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/"},"headline":"Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House","datePublished":"2018-10-11T18:00:01.000Z","dateModified":"2024-01-24T11:25:45.000Z","description":"West shared an extended monologue","url":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/","keywords":["Newsfeed","politics","celebrities","Kanye West","Donald Trump","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt586c633651d64b7a/69893c69929fad8c86bf1cf3/kanye-west-donald-trump-white-house.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt586c633651d64b7a/69893c69929fad8c86bf1cf3/kanye-west-donald-trump-white-house.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House","caption":"President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House","creditText":"Pool—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/","name":"Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House","description":"Here's What Kanye West Said to President Trump at the White House","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/MRDInjBH/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-10-11T19:06:13.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MRDInjBH.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/","duration":"PT1M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5422270/kanye-west-trump-speech/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}]
```

