President Barack Obama gave Kanye West some political advice at a fundraiser in San Francisco on Saturday morning, poking light fun at the hip-hop artist’s announcement that he is considering running for president in 2020.
West headlined as a performer at the Democratic National Committee event, which drew about 1,300 people who paid between $250-$10,000 a person to attend, and included an appearance by the Golden State Warriors and their NBA championship trophy, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Obama called West, who has announced plans to run for President in 2020 during the MTV Video Music Awards: “In a little while you are going to hear from a guy who is thinking about getting into politics,” Obama said. “You may have heard that Kanye is thinking about running [for] speaker of the house. It couldn’t get any stranger. In case Kanye is serious about this whole POTUS thing, or as Kanye calls it, ‘peezy.'”
Then, the word of advice: “You got to deal with strange characters who behave as if they are on a reality TV show,” a reference to Kanye’s wife, reality star Kim Kardashian.
Obama continued, “Saying you have a beautiful dark twisted fantasy, that’s what’s known as off message in politics.” He then joked to the audience, “Do you really think this country is going to elect a black guy form the south side of Chicago with a funny name to be president of the US?”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com