--- title: Kanye West Discusses Slavery Comment, Trump in New Interview description: Kanye West apologizes for slavery comments and discusses his previous declarations of support for Donald Trump. canonical: https://time.com/5381915/kanye-west-on-trump-slavery-interview/ author: Cady Lang article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-08-29T19:16:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:54.256Z og:title: Kanye West Discusses Slavery Comment, Trump in New Interview og:description: He addresses it fully from his point of view og:url: https://time.com/5381915/kanye-west-on-trump-slavery-interview/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34079ad7d61cdc91/698939014ee2623cb3312b63/kanye-west-addresses-trump-slavery-in-wgci-interview.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2000 og:image:height: 1125 og:image:alt: POLITICS-US-TRUMP og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Kanye West Discusses Slavery Comment, Trump in New Interview twitter:description: He addresses it fully from his point of view twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34079ad7d61cdc91/698939014ee2623cb3312b63/kanye-west-addresses-trump-slavery-in-wgci-interview.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Kanye West Addresses Slavery Comments and Discusses Support for President Trump > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ## Video: Kanye West Says 400 Years of Slavery 'Sounds Like a Choice' [Watch (HLS stream): Kanye West Says 400 Years of Slavery 'Sounds Like a Choice'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/p3T2jFIP.m3u8) (0:50)  _Published 2018-05-02. Before the last one had a chance to simmer down, Kanye West caused another stir, calling S a “choice” in an interview Tuesday._  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 29, 2018 7:16 PM UTC  Singer Kanye West and President-elect Donald Trump speak with the press after their meetings at Trump Tower December 13, 2016 in New York. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) Singer Kanye West and President-elect Donald Trump speak with the press after their meetings at Trump Tower December 13, 2016 in New York. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images) TIMOTHY A. CLARY—AFP/Getty Images  by [Cady Lang](https://time.com/author/cady-lang/)  ## Cady Lang Aug 29, 2018 7:16 PM UTC [Kanye West](http://time.com/collection-post/3822917/kanye-west/) discussed his [controversial comments about slavery](http://time.com/5263242/kanye-west-slavery-tweets-history/) and his [support of President Donald Trump](http://time.com/5254664/kanye-west-supports-donald-trump-twitter/) during an interview on [107.5 WGCI Chicago](https://www.iheart.com/live/1075-wgci-chicago-841/?autoplay=true&pname=15400&campid=header&cid=%2F5a2339963811caf85a93e939) on Wednesday morning. The rapper and fashion designer made headlines for his recent appearance on [_Jimmy Kimmel Live_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmZjaYdS3fA), when he remained silent after Kimmel asked him: “You so famously and powerfully said, ‘George Bush doesn’t care about black people.’ It makes me wonder, what makes you think that Donald Trump does?” During his WGCI interview, West shared his thoughts about Kimmel’s question, as well as addressing his assertion that “slavery was a choice” during a _TMZ_ interview. West first addressed his silence on Kimmel by explaining that he needed “time to think.” “I feel that \[Trump\] cares about the way black people feel about him, and he would like for black people to like him like they did when he was cool in the rap songs,” West said. “He will do the things that are necessary to make that happen because he’s got an ego like all the rest of us, and he wants to be the greatest president, and he knows that he can’t be the greatest president without the acceptance of the black community. So it’s something he’s gonna work towards, but we’re gonna have to speak to him.” West then apologized for his comments about slavery, noting that his mental health was a factor. “This is something about the fact that it hurt people’s feelings and the way that I presented that piece of information,” West said. “I could present in a way more calm way, but I was ramped up. And I apologize. That happens sometimes when people are—I’m not blaming mental health, but I’m explaining mental health. I don’t know if I properly apologized for how the slavery comment made people feel. I’m sorry for the one-two effect of the MAGA hat into the slave comment, and I’m sorry for people that felt let down by that moment.” While West also used his on-air time to mourn the distance between him and longtime collaborator Don C, his outlook for the future was positive. “It’s going to be a new Kanye West, and it’s going to be better,” West said. Watch West discuss his controversial comments and his mental health below. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] When you hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sound like a choice. 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