Trump criticized for dining with far-right activist Nick Fuentes and rapper Ye

David M. Friedman, who served as his ambassador to Israel, publicly took Trump to job for consorting with the troublesome pair, tweeting that the previous president was “higher than this.”

The personal dinner is the newest instance of how the previous president has courted people with excessive or racist views. Ye, the rapper previously often called Kanye West, lately misplaced billions of {dollars} of internet value after companies minimize ties with him for repeatedly making antisemitic remarks. Fuentes, a political commentator on YouTube, has a historical past of touting white nationalist concepts.

Ye posted a video Thursday to Twitter that includes far-right commentator Milo Yiannopoulos listening to the rapper recap his Tuesday assembly with Trump. The rapper, who has stated he plans to run for president in 2024, stated he requested Trump to be his operating mate. Trump was uninterested, Ye stated, however he was “actually impressed” with Fuentes.

“Nick Fuentes, not like so lots of the legal professionals and so many individuals that he was left with on his 2020 marketing campaign, he’s truly a loyalist,” Ye, who returned to Twitter this week after a current ban, stated within the video.

Trump stated he solely deliberate to have dinner with Ye, who has repeatedly expressed his assist for the previous president. The rapper introduced Fuentes alongside uninvited, Trump stated.

“This previous week, Kanye West known as me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago,” the previous president stated Friday on Fact Social. “Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly confirmed up with three of his buddies, whom I knew nothing about.”

“We had dinner on Tuesday night with many members current on the again patio,” Trump added. “The dinner was fast and uneventful. They then left for the airport.”

Trump has insisted to aides since Tuesday that he didn’t know Fuentes, a Trump supporter energetic on Fact Social, the previous president’s social media community, although some in his circle stated they have been skeptical.

Karen Giorno, a former Trump aide who ran the then-candidate’s Florida marketing campaign in 2016 earlier than changing into a senior adviser, stated she arrived on the membership in a automotive with Ye and Fuentes. She stated she didn’t beforehand know Fuentes and met him earlier that day for the primary time. The group got here in collectively previous safety, she stated.

An individual acquainted with the matter stated Fuentes was not on the listing however obtained in as a result of he was a visitor of the rapper.

“There is no such thing as a system now that he’s not the president. When you’re on the listing, you may drive as much as the gate, and for somebody like Kanye West, he’s going to convey his workers or different individuals with him within the membership,” this particular person stated. “Nobody is rigorously checking.”

Giorno stated Trump greeted the trio: Ye, Fuentes and one other man who she solely knew as Jamal, alone with out workers or household within the lobby of the membership, and “graciously” advised the rapper his group ought to be a part of for dinner at his customary desk on the patio. They have been served a conventional Thanksgiving dinner — not on the menu — with Ye getting a second serving to of stuffing.

She stated Trump “clearly” acknowledged her and the rapper, however didn’t appear to acknowledge Fuentes initially. An individual acquainted with the dinner stated West launched the 24-year-old as “Nick.”

Giorno stated she sat to the president’s proper, whereas the rapper sat to his left, and Fuentes and one other visitor, Jamal, an worker at Boeing who Trump with discuss airplane contracts, sat throughout the desk, she stated. The rapper took footage with many members of the membership, she stated.

Fuentes, host of YouTube’s “America First” present, grew up Catholic within the Chicago suburbs earlier than dropping out of Boston College. Since then, he’s turn into common with younger conservatives essential of firm Republicans for not taking hard-line positions on cultural points. Fuentes attended the 2017 Unite the Proper rally in Charlottesville the place a white nationalist killed an anti-racism protester, however has denied being a neo-Nazi or a white nationalist. He has expressed concern on his present concerning the U.S. inhabitants changing into much less White, beforehand arguing that “dramatic and radical change” will convey “not-insignificant penalties, and never all of them good.”

Giorno stated she didn’t hear Ye or Fuentes say something that may very well be seen as antisemitic or racist, however Fuentes did share his opinion on the previous president’s reelection marketing campaign. Trump was shortly impressed by Fuentes and peppered him with questions, Giorno stated.

“He was impressed with Nick and his information of Trump World,” she stated. “Nick knew individuals and figures and speeches and rallies and what surrounded the Trump tradition, notably when it got here to the bottom.”

And Trump wished to speak about his marketing campaign, together with those that would run towards him in 2024, his announcement speech and the way he was going to win. Fuentes advised Trump that he most popular when he was fiery and off-the-cuff, notably because it associated to his announcement speech, Giorno stated. Trump repeatedly talked about his base and younger voters, Giorno stated. One other particular person acquainted with the dinner stated Trump appreciated Fuentes as a result of he flattered him and inspired his most pugilistic instincts.

“Did the president and Nick have an informal dialog about his previous presidency, the announcement and magnificence, and polling and prospects of different individuals coming into the first, and what younger individuals thought of him? Yeah they did,” Giorno stated.

The informal dinner — which featured feedback about celebrities, American politics and extra — turned heated when Trump “began speaking negatively” about Kim Kardashian, Ye’s former spouse, Giorno stated.

Tensions additionally rose when the rapper requested Trump to hitch his 2024 ticket as vp, which he rejected.

An individual acquainted with the dinner stated it was “cordial till it wasn’t.” Trump grew loud and animated, the particular person stated. “Everybody was paying consideration,” the particular person stated.

“It was strained,” the particular person stated, and wrapped after about two hours. “It ended cordial however tense,” the particular person stated.

Trump’s dinner with the 2 males drew criticism from each Republicans and Democrats.

Matt Brooks, govt director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, a political group that helps Jewish Republicans, challenged the previous president and different political leaders to distance themselves from Fuentes and Ye.

“We strongly condemn the virulent antisemitism of Kanye West and Nick Fuentes and name on all political leaders to reject their messages of hate and refuse to fulfill with them,” Brooks advised The Submit on Friday.

The previous president “befriending” Ye and Fuentes is telling, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) tweeted Friday. “Inform me who your folks are, and I’ll let you know who you might be,” Torres wrote.

Even among the president’s standard allies have been publicly essential of the assembly, together with his former ambassador to Israel.

In a tweet during which he referred to “my pal Donald Trump,” Friedman wrote: “Even a social go to from an antisemite like Kanye West and human scum like Nick Fuentes is unacceptable. I urge you to throw these bums out, disavow them and relegate them to the dustbin of historical past the place they belong.”

Isaac Arnsdorf contributed to this report.