In this reality TV era of presidential politics, it just seems natural that the president claims (falsely) that his approval rating is up due to Kanye West.
Kanye met with Trump in the Oval Office today in one of the most bizarre moments of Trump’s bizarre presidency.
Trump, calling into his favorite show Fox & Friends this morning, lavished praise on West hours before they were to meet.
“I like him a lot,” said Trump. “He’s been a friend of mine. I’ve known him for a long time. He’s a very different kind of a guy — I say that in a positive way. But he is a different kind of a guy. Those that are in the music business say that he is a genius. And that’s OK with me because as far as I’m concerned he is.”
Trump will meet with West, former NFL great Jim Brown and senior adviser Jared Kushner for lunch on this afternoon to discuss prison reform.
Kanye West wears a MAGA hat during appearance on SNL.
Kanye West stirred controversy in an appearance on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” last month when he wore a “Make America Great Again” hat during his performance and delivered a pro-Trump speech to the studio audience.
The president claimed on “Fox & Friends” that when West first expressed support for him, his poll numbers “went up like 25 percent.”
“Nobody’s ever seen it,” Trump said. “He’s got a big following in the African-American community. A big, big following. And I think he has in a lot of communities. But the polls went through the roof. And I have not seen that. I think I can honestly say I’ve never seen that before.”
It’s unclear what polling data the president was referring to.
According to the most recent Gallup poll, Trump’s job approval rating stands at 43 percent, while 53 percent disapprove.
The survey showed just 10 percent of African-Americans approve of the job Trump is doing. A Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted in August found just 3 percent of African-Americans approve of the job Trump is doing, compared to 93 percent who disapprove.
When asked whether he would consider campaigning with West, Trump sounded excited about the idea.
“I could see it,” the president said. “I could see it. ”