Kanye West has more than one member of the Trump family in his corner. Ahead of the rapper’s meeting with the president Thursday, Donald Trump Jr. is coming to his defense after a CNN panel questioned West’s intellect.

Don Lemon invited three guests on his show Tuesday night to discuss West’s buzzed-about meeting with President Trump. Kim Kardashian‘s husband is set to meet with POTUS and Jared Kushner about criminal justice reform, job opportunities for former convicts, and how to increase the number of manufacturing jobs in the Chicago area, according to the New York Times.

“My issue with Kanye West is quite simple — it’s that anti-intellectualism simply isn’t cool,” said commentator Bakari Sellers. “We’re not sending Kanye West to the White House to talk about these issues because he can’t. He doesn’t have the depth to. I want to hear what Kanye West wants to do when we’re talking about criminal justice reform or prisoner reentry — the fact is he cannot. He does not have that depth.”

Kanye West and Donald Trump Jr. (Photo: Getty Images) More

The politician and attorney continued, “Just the other day, [West] was talking about STEM programs and how we needed to have more STEM programs and had to turn around and ask his colleague, what did STEM mean? Kanye West is what happens when Negroes don’t read.”

The dig is an apparent reference to an old Chris Rock bit from the 1990s.

Another panel member, Tara Setmayer, called West the “token Negro of the Trump administration.”

“Listen, black folks are about to trade Kanye West in the racial draft,” Setmayer said. (That particular dis is from a Chapelle’s Show skit.) She added, “They’ve had it with him. He’s an attention whore, like the president.”

Donald Trump Jr. slammed CNN for mocking West.

Kanye dares to think for himself so @CNN commentators mock him, saying Kanye (a wildly successful businessman) “is what happens when negros don’t read.” At some point you have to ask, why is free thought & expression so dangerous & scary to liberals? 🤔 https://t.co/w7y3taPJhW — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 10, 2018

As did Candace Owens.

Last night on @CNN, Kanye West was called a “token negro” and a “dumb negro”. I want you guys to imagine if those words were EVER uttered on @FoxNews. CNN has finally committed to going full blown RACIST. They want their slaves back 😂😂@Bakari_Sellers @donlemon #TRUMP2020 https://t.co/QL2RGvHlLo — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 10, 2018

West, who is apparently taking a social media break (for now), hasn’t weighed in.





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