Donald Trump under fire for having dinner with a white nationalist and Kanye West – National

Former President Donald Trump is renewing attention on his long history of turning a blind eye to bigotry after dining with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist and rapper formerly known as Kanye West just days into his third campaign for the White House.

Trump dined at his Mar-a-Lago club on Tuesday with West, who is now known as Ye, as well as Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist who has used his online platform to spew anti-Semitic and nationalist rhetoric white.

Ye, who also says he is running for president in 2024, has made his own string of anti-Semitic comments in recent weeks, leading to his suspension from social media platforms, his talent agency dropping him and companies like Adidas cutting ties with him. The sportswear maker has also opened an investigation into his conduct.

In a statement from the White House, spokesman Andrew Bates said, “Bigotry, hatred and anti-Semitism have absolutely no place in America, including at Mar-A-Lago. Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be strongly condemned.

Trump, in a series of statements on Friday, said he had « never met and knew nothing about » Fuentes before arriving with Ye at his club. But Trump also failed to acknowledge Fuentes’ long history of racist and anti-Semitic slurs, or denounce the defamatory statements of either man.

Trump wrote of Ye on his social media platform that « we got along great, he expressed no anti-Semitism, and I appreciated all the nice things he said about me on ‘Tucker. Carlson ». He added, « Why don’t I agree to meet you? »

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Trump facing the long US presidential campaign of 2024

The former president has a long history of unequivocally not condemning hate speech. During his 2016 campaign, Trump wavered when asked to speak out against the KKK after being endorsed by the group’s former leader, saying in a TV interview that he « knew nothing about David Duke ». In 2017, following deadly white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, Trump was widely criticized for saying the violence was « responsible on both sides. » And its rallies frequently feature inflammatory rhetoric from figures like U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who spoke earlier this year at a far-right conference hosted by Fuentes.

The latest episode, coming just a week after Trump launched his third Republican nomination race, also underscored how access to the former president remained loosely controlled, especially without a traditional campaign operation in place. .

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has come under scrutiny amid revelations that Trump was storing hundreds of documents with classified marks there – sparking a federal investigation. But the club – and the people it allowed access to Trump – had long been a source of consternation among former White House aides.

Mar-a-Lago is not only Trump’s home, but also a private club and event space. Paid members and their guests dine with him and often mingle with him; members of the public can book weddings, fundraisers and other events, and Trump drops by often.

Ye first shared the dinner details in a video he posted to his Twitter account on Thursday. Ye said he traveled to Florida to ask Trump to be his 2024 running mate, and the meeting grew heated, with Trump « disturbed » by his request and Ye angered by Trump’s criticism at the towards his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

« When Trump started yelling at me at the table telling me I was going to lose. I mean, has it ever worked for anyone in history, telling Ye I’m going to lose? You asked in the video. « You’re talking to Ye! »

Ye also said Trump was « really impressed with Nick Fuentes », who he described as « actually a loyalist » and said he asked Trump: « Why, when you had the chance, didn’t you release on January 6? » referring to defendants who allegedly took part in the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Trump released a series of statements Friday trying to explain the circumstances of the meeting.

“Kanye West really wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago. Our dinner date was supposed to be Kanye and me only, but it happened with a guest I had never met and knew nothing about,” Trump said in his first statement released by his campaign.

Shortly after, Trump took to his social media network to say that Ye and « three of his friends, who I knew nothing about » had « shown up unexpectedly » at his club.

“We had dinner on Tuesday evening with many members present on the back terrace. Dinner was quick and uneventful. They then left for the airport,” he wrote.

Hours later, he posted again, saying he had told Ye that he « definitely shouldn’t run for president » and that « every voter you might have should vote for TRUMP. »

« Anyway, we got on really well, he didn’t express any anti-Semitism and I appreciated all the nice things he said about me on ‘Tucker Carlson,' » he said. added. « Why wouldn’t I agree to meet you? » Also, I didn’t know Nick Fuentes.

Fuentes, meanwhile, said after the trip that, while he couldn’t rule out Trump hearing about him, « I don’t think he knew I was me at dinner. »

« I didn’t want my statements and my whole journey to become in some way a public relations issue for the president, » he added on his show.

The meeting drew immediate criticism from Trump critics as well as some supporters, including David Friedman, who served as Trump’s ambassador to Israel.

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Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in 2024

“To my friend Donald Trump, you are worth more than this. Even a social visit from an anti-Semite like Kanye West and a human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable,” Friedman wrote in a tweet. “I urge you to throw these bums out, to disavow them and relegate them to the dustbin of history where they belong. »

On Saturday, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a potential 2024 rival, also denounced anti-Semitism, without directly referring to the dinner or the president under whom he served.

« Anti-Semitism is a cancer, » Pompeo wrote, adding, « We stand with the Jewish people in the fight against the world’s oldest bigotry. »

Biden, when asked about Trump’s dinner date while on vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts, replied, « You don’t want to hear what I think. »