Republican Jewish leaders are condemning the rapper Ye for working with white supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes on a 2024 presidential campaign, but declined to call out Donald Trump, who met with both men on Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
“We strongly condemn the virulent antisemitism of Kanye West and Nick Fuentes and call on all political leaders to reject their messages of hate and refuse to meet with them,” the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) told Axios in a statement.
The Department of Justice has described Mr Fuentes as a “white supremacist,” and the right-wing media host has denied the Holocaust, urged the GOP to focus on “Jewish control” of society, and believes there’s a “white genocide” going on.
The former president said in a statement on Tuesday that he was unaware that Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, would bring Mr Fuentes to their meeting.
"Kanye West very much wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago,” Mr Trump, who is also running again in 2024, said. “Our dinner meeting was intended to be Kanye and me only, but he arrived with a guest whom I had never met and knew nothing about."
However, Ye claimed Mr Trump was "really impressed" with Fuentes at the dinner, because "unlike so many of the lawyers and so many people that he was left with on his 2020 campaign, he’s actually a loyalist.
The fashion designer and hip-hop star, who has recently been dropped by partners like Adidas for a string of antisemitic comments, also said he asked Mr Trump to be his vice-presidential pick on his 2024 campaign, a request that “perturbed” the former president.
The Independent has contacted Mr Trump and the RJC for comment.
Mr West, once known for taking outspoken stands on social justice, has drifted increasingly rightward in recent years.
He’s also asked right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos to serve as an adviser on his 2024 campaign.
Mr West has said he’s “absolutely not” sorry for his remarks, including threats to “death con 3” on Jewish people, though he later did say he was sorry he “hurt” and confused people
Mr Trump has faced accusations of being antisemitic himself, after he criticised US Jews in October and told them to “get their act together” and support him, as well as “appreciate what they have in Israel – before it is too late”.
