Kanye West is making his #YExit from politics after months of publicly supporting President Donald Trump After months of publicly supporting the president, the rapper, 41, tweeted about a possible hiatus from voicing a pro-MAGA rhetoric. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in,” West wrote on Tuesday. “I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative.” In another tweet, the husband of Kim Kardashian West said: “I would like to thank my family, loved ones, and community for supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world.” West’s statements come days after he was rumored to be involved with a political apparel line called “Blexit,” created by conservative commentator Candace Owens, which encourages African-American voters to abandon the Democratic Party. However, West addressed his association with “Blexit” in a tweet on Tuesday. “I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine. I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it,” he said. West has been vocal about his support for Trump for years, but especially in recent months. President Trump Hosts Kanye West And Former Football Player Jim Brown At The White House Kanye West and Donald Trump | Credit: Oliver Contreras - Pool/Getty Earlier this month, a source close to West told PEOPLE that the Grammy winner’s political mindset was unwavering. “He loves Donald Trump; he is convinced that Trump is going to change America for the better and thinks that he’s already done an amazing job,” the source said. “He talks about Trump all the time; he watches the news and finds times when Trump is being treated unfairly, and he talks about them all the time.” Wife Kardashian West recently said in an interview with Alec Baldwin that “I let [Kanye] be who he wants to be. … I let him have his own views and opinions, even if they’re different from mine,” adding, “[We] definitely have conversations if I don’t understand something in private and talk about that.” Trump Kanye West, Washington, USA - 11 Oct 2018 Credit: Evan Vucci/AP/REX/Shutterstock Recently, Caitlyn Jenner has dialed back her support of the president due to his stance on LGBTQ issues. Though she backed Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, the former I Am Cait reality star said “I was wrong” in an op-ed published by the Washington Post this month.<doc-sep>I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine. I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it.<doc-sep>Rapper Kanye West speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval office of the White House on October 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. Rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West has announced that he is "distancing" himself from politics. West outlined his new apolitical stance in two tweets late on Tuesday, adding he realizes he has been "used to spread messages" he doesn't believe in. West has been closely associated to President Donald Trump, first by visiting him in Trump Tower shortly after the president's 2016 election victory, and then more recently at the White House. Now however, the music star has said he wants to exit the political arena. On Twitter, the rapper said his decision was made by the suggestion that he had supported a campaign encouraging black Americans to leave the Democratic party. https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1057382888520499201 The 'Candace' namechecked by West is Candace Owens, a right-wing commentator that regularly features on U.S. political television shows. In a subsequent tweet, the rapper added that his "eyes are now wide open" and that he is to step away from politics and focus on creative projects. https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1057382916760707072 West has previously been criticised for his association with Trump by other artists including rapper Snoop Dogg and singer-songwriter John Legend. On October 11, along with former NFL star Jim Brown, West visited Trump at the Oval Office surrounded by reporters and embarked on a rambling tirade.<doc-sep>Is the strangest political marriage in America finally over? Rapper Kanye West, who earlier this month hugged Donald Trump in the Oval Office, declared on Tuesday that he had been “used to spread messages I don’t believe in” and would now be “distancing” himself from politics. The statement is likely to come as a blow to the US president, who has touted West as a prominent black supporter even as his approval rating among African Americans barely touches double figures. West’s primary falling out appears to be not with Trump but Candace Owens, a rising star of the right who was lavished with praise by the president at a gathering of young black conservatives at the White House last week. ‘Blexit’ merchandise. Photograph: screengrab On Twitter on Tuesday, West said he supports prison reform, commonsense gun laws and compassion for people seeking asylum, then denied that he had designed a logo for a branding exercise known as “Blexit”, which urges African Americans to leave the Democratic party. The concept, originated by Owens, claimed that West had designed the group’s merchandise. “I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine,” West wrote. “I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it.” Evidently stung by the experience, he then followed up: “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !! !” My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!! — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 According to media reports, Owens had claimed that West designed the logo and colours of Blexit. On Monday, as controversy grew, she released a statement playing down his role, insisting: “BLEXIT is a project that is mine entirely. I am blessed that Ye [West] introduced me to a designer who despite having totally different beliefs than me, helped me craft some beautiful letters that I used on the BLEXIT caps.” She added: “#BLEXIT is about the beautiful stories of so many black people who have awakened themselves to the possibilities of our future, as Americans. The press is trying to use Kanye’s name to create drama and further divisiveness which is WRONG.” #BLEXIT is about the beautiful stories of so many black people who have awakened themselves to the possibilities of our future, as Americans. The press is trying to use Kanye’s name to create drama and further divisiveness which is WRONG. Here is statement of clarity from me: pic.twitter.com/PJSdM2PRFi — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) October 29, 2018 Owens, who grew up in a Democratic household, is now a fierce critic of the party. In one Twitter post, she says: “There is no group in America that has been more lied to, more abused, or more taken advantage of by the Democrats than black people.” During his bizarre visit to the White House recently, West commented: “You know, people expect that if you’re black you have to be Democrat. I’ve had conversations that basically said that welfare is the reason why a lot of black people end up being Democrat.” 01:15 Kanye says 'I love this guy right here' as he walks over and gives Trump a hug – video In a rambling monologue that silenced even Trump, the rapper, sporting a “Make America Great Again” cap, told him: “It was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like Superman. You made a Superman. That’s my favorite superhero. And you made a Superman cape.” West has faced widespread criticism for such comments and for his endorsement of a president who critics accuse of emboldening a movement of white nationalism through his words and deeds. The star has made baffling comments about abolishing the 13th amendment and slavery being a choice. Journalist Alex Wagner tweeted in response to West’s announcement: “Apparently Kanye did not understand that “sitting in the Oval Office with the president of the United States and railing against liberals” would be seen as explicitly, uhm, political. But please (for real) go back to creative pursuits.”<doc-sep>
(CNN) — Just weeks after visiting the White House, Kanye West appears to be a little tired of politics. The rapper and designer on Tuesday said on Twitter that he plans on “distancing” himself from politics, alleging he’s being “used to spread messages I don’t believe in.” “I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative!! !” he wrote. My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!! — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 I introduced Candace to the person who made the logo and they didn’t want their name on it so she used mine. I never wanted any association with Blexit. I have nothing to do with it. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 This week, West became associated with a campaign led by conservative activist Candace Owens that encourages black voters to leave the Democratic Party. While Owens clarified West’s role in designing the logo for her campaign – she said on Twitter that West merely made an introduction – West was seemingly unnerved by the attention. I support creating jobs and opportunities for people who need them the most, I support prison reform, I support common-sense gun laws that will make our world safer. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 I support those who risk their lives to serve and protect us and I support holding people who misuse their power accountable. I believe in love and compassion for people seeking asylum and parents who are fighting to protect their children from violence and war. — ye (@kanyewest) October 30, 2018 West wrote that he “never wanted any association” with the campaign and has “nothing to do with it.” West first showed his support for Owens in April in a tweet, saying, “I love the way Candace Owens thinks.” His attempt to separate himself from the political conversation comes one month after a rant about Trump after his “SNL” performance caused a new wave backlash against the outspoken musician, who has made a string of controversial and inflammatory comments in recent months. In his tweets on Tuesday, West expressed appreciation for those who have stood by him. “I would like to thank my family, loved ones, and community for supporting my ACTUAL beliefs and my vision for a better world,” he added.