Two weeks after a controversial meeting at the White House with President Trump, rapper Kanye West said that he is done with politics. In a series of tweets posted Tuesday afternoon, West claimed his “eyes are now wide open” and that he was being “used” to spread messages he does not believe in. West has been increasingly vocal of his support of President Trump, proudly wearing a Make America Great Again hat and tweeting he loves Trump’s “dragon energy.” West also used his most recent appearance on Saturday Night Live to give an impromptu, unaired speech in support of Trump. West’s tweets on Tuesday also clarified his political beliefs, stressing he supports prison reform and “common-sense” gun laws. Get our Politics Newsletter. The headlines out of Washington never seem to slow. Subscribe to The D.C. Brief to make sense of what matters most. Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. Sign Up Now An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later. Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder. Write to Gina Martinez at gina.martinez@time.com.<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>DONALD TRUMP: ... The greatest of all time. And what I, what people don't know, Kanye, everybody knows, right? Does the world know, Kanye? What people – Kanye – what people don't know about you [Brown]? They say, first of all he's the best football player. But they say he was even better lacrosse player. Do you think so? Huh? JIM BROWN: I never thought about it. DONALD TRUMP: I've heard he was, even at Syracuse. JIM BROWN: Yes, I loved it. A real love for it. DONALD TRUMP: Well, it's great to have you, Jim. Thank you. Kanye, it's great to be with you. JIM BROWN: Great to be here with you. DONALD TRUMP: And these are two friends of mine. And Kanye's been a friend of mine for a long time, and Jim has – Jim came out of nowhere and he said, "I like what the president's doing." A long time ago we met, right? And I just appreciate it very much. And you know, if you look at the employment numbers, if you look at the median income, if you look at every single indicator, we're keeping our promise, Jim. Thank you. JIM BROWN: I like North Korea. DONALD TRUMP: I like North Korea too. JIM BROWN: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] DONALD TRUMP: Yeah. Yeah. Well, he's – turned out to be good. Dialogue. We had a little dialogue. And the secretary of state just came back, Mike, he just came back from North Korea. We had very good meetings, and we'll meet again. But we're doing good. No more nuclear testing, no more missiles going up, no more nothing. And it's – that was headed to war. That was headed to war. JIM BROWN: Yeah, to me it seemed like – DONALD TRUMP: Yep. It was so close. I spoke, I spoke to President Obama. I will tell you, that was headed to war. And now it's going to be, I believe it's going to work out very well. KANYE WEST: And stopped the war. DONALD TRUMP: We really stopped the war, saved millions of lives. You know, Seoul has 30 million people. You don't realize how big, 30 million people right near the border, 30 miles off the border. Millions of people would have been killed. And I will say, Chairman Kim has been really good. Really good, and we've made a lot of progress. That's nice that you say that, because that's a big – that's a big thing. These folks were covering, they were covering North Korea not, I think not very promisingly. And there were a lot of problems. President Obama said that was his biggest problem. And I don't say anything's solved – KANYE WEST: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] one of the biggest problems, in all, one of the biggest problems – DONALD TRUMP: Yes, it was a big, it was a big solving. And not solved yet but I think we're a long – I think we're on the way. JIM BROWN: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] DONALD TRUMP: No, no, it's, we're well on our way. JIM BROWN: [UNINTELLIGIBLE] DONALD TRUMP: In a short period of time, Jim. Very short period of time. You know, I left Singapore three months ago and we've made a lot of progress. So it's very good. That's one of many things. And I appreciate everything with you. I tell you what. Kim was in. Mrs. Johnson, we got her out. She was very unfairly treated. And there are many other people like that, that – KANYE WEST: We've got Larry Hoover's lawyer with us today, and it's a prisoner that we're focused on. He has six life sentences, and they have him next to the Unabomber doing 23 at once. That means he's – DONALD TRUMP: What did he do, Larry? What did he do? LAWYER: Why is he in? DONALD TRUMP: Yes, tell me. Tell us the story. LAWYER: Allegedly it's for conspiracy from prison, from state prison, you know, it's alleged, but we do believe even if he did commit those crimes, the sentence was overly broad and too strict. DONALD TRUMP: What was the sentence? LAWYER: Six consecutive life sentences in the most secure prison in the world, also known as the clean version of hell, for basically an economic crime. KANYE WEST: What prison is that? Name the prison. LAWYER: ADX Supermax in Florence, Colorado. They house the Unabomber, al Qaeda operatives, mass-killers, Oklahoma City bomber, things of that nature. DONALD TRUMP: How old is he? How old? LAWYER: Sixty-eight. DONALD TRUMP: He's 68 years old? PERSON X: Yes, he's 68 years old. KANYE WEST: And really, the reason why they imprisoned him is because he started doing positive for the community. He started showing that he actually had power, that he wasn't just one of a monolithic voice, but he could wrap people around. So there's theories that there's infinite amounts of universe, and there's alternate universe, so it's very important for me to get Hoover out because in an alternate universe I am him, and I have to go and get him free. Because he was doing positive inside of Chicago just like I'm moving back to Chicago and it's not just about, you know, getting on stage and being an entertainer and having a monolithic voice that's forced to be a specific party. You know, people expect that if you're black, you have to be Democrat. I have a – I have conversations that basically said that welfare is the reason why a lot of black people end up being Democrat. They say, you know, first of all, it's a limit to amount of jobs. So the fathers lose the jobs, and they say, "We'll give you more money for having more kids in your home." And then we got rid of the mental health institutes in the '80s and the '90s, and the prison rates just shot up. And now you have Chi-raq, what people call Chi-raq – which is actually, our murder rate is going down by 20 per cent every year. I just talked to the superintendent, met with Michael Sacks, that's Rahm's right-hand man.<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.<doc-sep>
Kanye West made an abrupt turnaround from politics on Tuesday, tweeting that his "eyes are now wide open" and "now realize I've been used to spread messages I don't believe in." He added: "I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!" West's decision to back away from the political realm came just weeks after his wild Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump. 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 Seated across the Resolute Desk from Trump at an event that was supposed to focus on prison reform, West — wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat — delivered a rambling 10-minute speech touching on abolishing the 13th Amendment, gun violence, and his battle with bipolar disorder, among a number of other topics. One of the comments in his remarks that gained attention was when the rap mogul said 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's slogan "I'm With Her" didn't make him feel like a man in the same way Trump's campaign messaging did. "The campaign 'I'm with her' just didn't make me feel, as a guy that didn't get to see my dad all the time, like a guy that could play catch with his son," he said. "It was something about when I put this hat on, it made me feel like Superman. You made a Superman cape for me." The president called West's speech "pretty impressive." "He's a smart cookie," Trump said. "He gets it." West had worn the "MAGA" hat and spoken positively of Trump in the months leading up to the meeting, which garnered the president's attention and praise.