In the latest developments for what has been a turbulent end to 2016 for Kanye, the rapper met with president-elect Trump in Trump Tower. The meeting was intended to focus on what Kanye described as "multicultural issues." He later tweeted a copy of Time magazine, with Trump on the cover as Person of the Year, signed by Trump himself. The president elect wrote in silver pen "To Kanye, You are a great friend. Thanks." As Kanye himself has repeatedly said he wants to run in 2020, this friendship he now seems to have with Trump poses some questions about his plans to run. As Kanye said after the meeting, “I’m just saying I’ve got some ideas about the way we should connect our ideas. I’m not concerned about the idea of being president or the actual job of it. I’m concerned about putting our concept of how to do the job in a new way. And if no one will do it in that way, then I will take position in 2020 to do it myself.”
The meeting between Trump and Kanye has sparked a lot of backlash, notably from John Legend, who was a strong Clinton supporter during the election. "I'm pretty disappointed with Kanye that he says he would have voted for Trump,"Legend said "I think Trump has been corrosive, his message has been corrosive to the country. I think the things he's promised to do have been very concerning for a lot of people, and for Kanye to support that message is very disappointing."
On Twitter, Questlove, comedian Hannibal Buress, and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson also spoke out against Kanye. Buress tweeted, "I can see why Kanye likes Trump campaign. Even with all the craziness, it had a smoother rollout than Life of Pablo," and gave a prediction of a dark future, later tweeting, "The Kanye/Trump presidential debates are gonna be lighting up snapstagram and tweetbook in 2020." McKesson tweeted that he was still in support of Kanye as an artist, but, like Legend, he was disappointed by Kanye's support of Trump. He tweeted, "I've not given up on Kanye quite yet. I think he's immensely talented. But I am at a loss re: what will change his mind besides a friend."