During a press conference on Thursday for what historians will one day refer to simply as The Pledge, Donald Trump found time to rave about Kanye West, saying, "I would never say bad about [Kanye] because he says such nice things about me." It wasn't the first time Trump has name-dropped the rapper — in fact, the two have a long and occasionally tense history.
Trump has been known to call West a good friend, and they even sound eerily similar when they speak. For his part, West has at times clashed with the current administration, a frequent target of Trump's.
Still, Kimye spent the night of the first Republican debate chilling with Hillary Clinton, and Kim Kardashian also tweeted a selfie before the rendezvous, calling Clinton "our next president."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 2016 election, in other words, could be a test of loyalties for West. Here's a peek at the history between him and The Donald name-checking each other:
2015: Trump on West: "I'll never say bad about Kanye West. I love him. But maybe in a few years I'll have to run against him and take that back." Earlier in the week, Trump also said: "[West is] a nice guy. I hope to run against him someday."
2014: Trump on if he got a Kimye wedding invite: "Well, I don't know that I'd be invited, but I definitely wish them the best of luck. I know them well and they're both very nice people so I hope they do well."
2010: Kanye West in "So Appalled": "I'm so appalled/Spalding balled/Balled in and Donald Trump taking dollars from y'all/Baby your fire and your girlfriend hired/And if you don’t mind, I'ma keep you on call"
2009: Donald Trump: Following the Taylor Swift controversy, he calls West "disgusting," demands a boycott of all things Kanye West.
2007: Kanye West in "Flashing Lights": "You're fire m------f------, Donald Trump n----/I'm killin' these n---- can't f--- n----/Now let's drink to that 'til we drunk"
-
October 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being releasedThe Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
