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According to Kanye West, wearing the MAGA hat was about resisting mind control and censorship.
West had met with Trump at the White House in October 2018. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
In a new documentary, rapper Kanye West has opened up about why he wore a “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat and supported US President Donald Trump. The documentary titled, ‘In Whose Name?’, has been directed by Nico Ballesteros and contains over 3,000 hours of footage shot across six years.
“When I wear the hat, it ain’t about every one of this man’s principles,” he said, referring to Trump. “It ain’t about. It’s not about the detention centres, which we know were here through a bunch of presidents. It ain’t about [does] a 72-year-old white man give a f— about Black people?” West was cited as saying by The People on Friday.
According to Kanye West, wearing the MAGA hat was about resisting mind control and censorship. He referenced the popular novel 1984 by George Orwell and questioned whether saying “Hitler” would get him canceled or cost him his Adidas deal. His comments come as the rapper has faced repeated backlash over his past antisemitic remarks and losing industry support.
In early 2025, he was dropped by his talent agent after another antisemitic rant. On his support for Trump, West spoke about the intense pressure he felt before his 2018 Saturday Night Live appearance. He claimed that he was in “current slavery” and attacked by his own community for trying to think freely.
“I’m literally inside of current slavery and being accosted by my own people to not free my mind,” West, now 48, was seen saying in the limited-release documentary, according to The People.
West also spoke about his love of Trump. The duo had met at the White House in October 2018 to talk about tax cuts, prison reforms, mental health and racism. He also highlighted a 2020 WSJ. Magazine cover story where he defended wearing the MAGA hat.
“I’m a Black guy with a red [MAGA] hat, can you imagine?” he said. “It reminded me of how I felt as a Black guy before I was famous, when I would walk in a restaurant and people would look at you like you were going to steal something. ‘This is your place, Ye, don’t talk about apparel. This is your place, Ye, you’re Black, so you’re a Democrat,’” he added.
Kanye West publicly supported Donald Trump starting in November 2016. However, he had not voted in that election. In 2018, he called Trump “my brother” and visited him at the White House. By July 2020, West launched his own presidential campaign but ultimately called it off.
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun…Read More
Yatamanyu Narain is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for all things entertainment. Whether he’s breaking the latest Bollywood news or chatting with rising stars in the OTT world, he’s always on the hun… Read More
September 20, 2025, 18:14 IST
