Kanye West Accuses Close Friend John Legend Of Trying To ‘Manipulate’ Him To Stop Trump Support

Kanye West supported Donald Trump in a series of tweets, and it rubbed John Legend the wrong way. But when the singer reached out about the messages, ‘Ye called him out for trying to ‘manipulate’ him.

If you have a Twitter, you may have noticed that Kanye West is back on the platform. The rapper’s return to social media was marked by a series of tweets – some of which praised and supported President Donald Trump. While some celebrities stood by the rapper’s political stances, others, like John Legend, weren’t too happy about it. The “All Of Me” singer responded in a series of tweets of his own about the harmful impact Trump’s administration has on the lives of millions of Americans, but he also made a more private attempt to get Kanye to see things from a different perspective.

John texted his good friend about his concerns, which ‘Ye then… blasted it on Twitter. “I hope you’ll reconsider aligning yourself with Trump. You’re way too powerful and influential to endorse who he is and what he stands for. As you know, what you say really means something to your fans. They are loyal to you and respect your opinion,” the 10-time Grammy winner said in his text message. “So many people who love you feel so betrayed right now because they know the harm that Trump’s policies cause, especially to people of color. Don’t let this be part of your legacy. You’re the greatest artist of our generation.”

But his thoughtful note wasn’t received well. While Kanye replied civilly, saying, “I love you John and I appreciate your thoughts,” he ended up accusing John of manipulation. “You bringing up my fans or my legacy is a tactic based on fear used to manipulate my free thought,” the “Stronger” hitmaker wrote. He later clarified why he posted the exchange on the Internet. “I tweeted the John text to show that there are people around me that disagree with me and voice their opinion. I respect everyone’s opinion but I stand my ground,” he wrote. Then, he shared another screenshot of John’s response which said, “Think freely. Think with empathy and context too. Your words and actions have.”

This exchange comes one day after Kanye flooded his Twitter account with messages promoting Trump. One of his tweets, which referred to the President as his “brother,” even received a response from Trump himself, who said, “Thank you Kanye, very cool!” In the midst of all this, John was tweeting about the very real ramifications that racist policies enacted by the current administration has had on families across the country. He finished up with a message about how influencers can’t pretend these issues aren’t happening. “I love that great, brilliant artists have the power to imagine a better future. But artists can’t be blind to the truth,” John wrote.

Kim Kardashian also got involved by calling her husband to ask him to clarify his statements. But Kimye isn’t the only power couple entangled in this discussion. Many have been expecting for Twitter Queen Chrissy Teigen to speak out in support of her husband’s sentiments. She ended up clarifying that she doesn’t use the social media platform to confront her friends. “Everyone keeps asking me to comment on shit. Comment on psycho Tami Lasagna, whom I refuse to give the joy to, say something about RHOA, speak up about kanye. When it comes to people we know, we DO speak up. To THEM. not on Twitter. And sometimes, I guess it makes it to Twitter,” she said.

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