President Trump said Thursday that rapper Kanye West supports him and his presidency because “he’s smart” and realizes that Trump is “doing a much better job than the Democrats did.”

“I get along with Kanye. I get along with a lot of people, frankly. But Kanye looks and he sees black unemployment at the lowest it's been in the history of our country, OK? He sees Hispanic unemployment at the lowest it's been in the history of our country. He sees, by the way female unemployment, women unemployment, the lowest it's been in now almost 19 years,” Trump told "Fox and Friends" in a call-in interview Thursday morning. “He sees that stuff and he's smart.”

Trump commended West for “sticking to his guns” after he received public backlash for his support of the president both on Twitter and in his personal life.

On Wednesday, West posted a string of tweets supporting Trump, and he met with him in person and had his red “Make America Great Again” hat signed.



my MAGA hat is signed 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/DrDHJybS8V — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) April 25, 2018

Fellow artist Chance the Rapper tweeted in support of West, indicating that all black people didn’t have to be Democrats.



Black people don’t have to be democrats. — Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) April 25, 2018

“When I see Kanye sticking to his guns, or when I see others, and there are plenty of others, sticking to their guns, coming out saying it … [it’s] fantastic,” Trump said.

Canadian singer-songwriter Shania Twain apologized for indicating that she would have voted for Trump if she were able to vote.

“Shania, who is terrific, she made a mistake — I wish I didn't go public with it — but we know how she feels,” Trump said.