Brian Stelter on Kanye West’s ‘Humiliating’ Meltdown: He’s Acting ‘Like a Gift to Racists’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT LAKE Kanye ░░░░░░░░ is responding to a ░░░░░░░░ controversial interview in which ░░░░░░░░ called slavery a choice ░░░░░░░░ s what he said ░░░░░░░░ an appearance on TMZ ░░░░░░░░ clip starts WEST You ░░░░░░░░ about slavery for 400 ░░░░░░░░ For 400 years That ░░░░░░░░ like a choice Like ░░░░░░░░ was 400 years and ░░░░░░░░ was all y all ░░░░░░░░ s like we re ░░░░░░░░ in prison clip ends ░░░░░░░░ The rapper was then ░░░░░░░░ on the live show ░░░░░░░░ TMZ staffer clip starts ░░░░░░░░ I actually don t ░░░░░░░░ you re thinking anything ░░░░░░░░ think what you re ░░░░░░░░ right now is actually ░░░░░░░░ absence of thought and ░░░░░░░░ reason why I feel ░░░░░░░░ that is because Kanye ░░░░░░░░ re entitled to your ░░░░░░░░ you re entitled to ░░░░░░░░ whatever you want but ░░░░░░░░ is fact and real ░░░░░░░░ real life consequence behind ░░░░░░░░ that you just said ░░░░░░░░ rest of us in ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ threats to our lives ░░░░░░░░ have to deal with ░░░░░░░░ marginalization that s come ░░░░░░░░ the 400 years of ░░░░░░░░ that you said for ░░░░░░░░ people was a choice ░░░░░░░░ I m disappointed I ░░░░░░░░ appalled and brother I ░░░░░░░░ unbelievably hurt by the ░░░░░░░░ that you have morphed ░░░░░░░░ something to me that ░░░░░░░░ not real clip ends ░░░░░░░░ Brian Stelter joins us ░░░░░░░░ New York Brian that ░░░░░░░░ a lot to take ░░░░░░░░ here It s coming ░░░░░░░░ the heels of him ░░░░░░░░ a huge stir for ░░░░░░░░ vocally supportive of Donald ░░░░░░░░ Listen is he a ░░░░░░░░ of marketing or is ░░░░░░░░ somebody who is sort ░░░░░░░░ struggling under the burden ░░░░░░░░ fame and making these ░░░░░░░░ appearances and framing his ░░░░░░░░ STELTER In the past ░░░░░░░░ s definitely been a ░░░░░░░░ of marketing This feels ░░░░░░░░ a PR tour but ░░░░░░░░ also feels like it ░░░░░░░░ backfiring in a really ░░░░░░░░ public even humiliating way ░░░░░░░░ look at the reactions ░░░░░░░░ what Kanye West said ░░░░░░░░ TMZ about slavery He ░░░░░░░░ being roundly denounced widely ░░░░░░░░ for what he said ░░░░░░░░ that interaction with the ░░░░░░░░ staffer really says it ░░░░░░░░ so effectively Kanye West ░░░░░░░░ been a brilliant entertainer ░░░░░░░░ right now he s ░░░░░░░░ like a gift to ░░░░░░░░ because he is saying ░░░░░░░░ he is saying these ░░░░░░░░ of ridiculous things that ░░░░░░░░ usually promoted by white ░░░░░░░░ by fringe groups by ░░░░░░░░ individuals mostly on the ░░░░░░░░ that promote racist ideas ░░░░░░░░ unfortunately he s playing ░░░░░░░░ into that whether he ░░░░░░░░ it or not And ░░░░░░░░ was struck by something ░░░░░░░░ tweeted overnight Maggie trying ░░░░░░░░ defend himself He said ░░░░░░░░ again I m being ░░░░░░░░ for presenting new ideas ░░░░░░░░ in fact what he ░░░░░░░░ doing is he s ░░░░░░░░ outdated old ideas It ░░░░░░░░ just he doesn t ░░░░░░░░ to know that and ░░░░░░░░ s the crux of ░░░░░░░░ problem So if this ░░░░░░░░ a marketing tour for ░░░░░░░░ upcoming album which it ░░░░░░░░ well be it s ░░░░░░░░ working so well LAKE ░░░░░░░░ we re all talking ░░░░░░░░ him so there is ░░░░░░░░ old saying there s ░░░░░░░░ such thing as bad ░░░░░░░░ I totally take your ░░░░░░░░ Listen even if we ░░░░░░░░ him the pass that ░░░░░░░░ he didn t articulate ░░░░░░░░ exactly he was going ░░░░░░░░ in a manner that ░░░░░░░░ how he really felt ░░░░░░░░ it came across poorly ░░░░░░░░ mean he s a ░░░░░░░░ I m just trying ░░░░░░░░ figure out why he ░░░░░░░░ touching on so many ░░░░░░░░ subjects in this way ░░░░░░░░ mean you know does ░░░░░░░░ jive with his past ░░░░░░░░ this a new chapter ░░░░░░░░ know what is the ░░░░░░░░ here of what s ░░░░░░░░ STELTER He keeps saying ░░░░░░░░ s a free thinker ░░░░░░░░ s trying to be ░░░░░░░░ free thinker and show ░░░░░░░░ that works I guess ░░░░░░░░ s a nice term ░░░░░░░░ one wants to argue ░░░░░░░░ being a free thinker ░░░░░░░░ s wonderful But it ░░░░░░░░ like he s learning ░░░░░░░░ he goes along He ░░░░░░░░ getting text messages from ░░░░░░░░ friends trying to correct ░░░░░░░░ on some of his ░░░░░░░░ and some of his ░░░░░░░░ impressions So he s ░░░░░░░░ of showing himself learning ░░░░░░░░ real time I think ░░░░░░░░ lot of the reactions ░░░░░░░░ ve seen on social ░░░░░░░░ are essentially boiled down ░░░░░░░░ three words Read a ░░░░░░░░ find out more about ░░░░░░░░ African American experience in ░░░░░░░░ United States learn more ░░░░░░░░ our politics and how ░░░░░░░░ politics are shaped by ░░░░░░░░ before you spout off ░░░░░░░░ way you have Let ░░░░░░░░ keep in mind some ░░░░░░░░ this is separate from ░░░░░░░░ Trump support I know ░░░░░░░░ s been embraced by ░░░░░░░░ Make America great again ░░░░░░░░ by Trump s base ░░░░░░░░ can be true At ░░░░░░░░ same time this talk ░░░░░░░░ slavery is just plain ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ s going to actually ░░░░░░░░ him sell albums in ░░░░░░░░ long term even though ░░░░░░░░ re all talking about ░░░░░░░░ if he s being ░░░░░░░░ roundly condemned LAKE We ░░░░░░░░ see if he continues ░░░░░░░░ so public with his ░░░░░░░░ or maybe the blowback ░░░░░░░░ all of this causes ░░░░░░░░ to step aside STELTER ░░░░░░░░ he ll say it ░░░░░░░░ all a show say ░░░░░░░░ was all an act ░░░░░░░░ don t know LAKE ░░░░░░░░ re trying to sort ░░░░░░░░ out as well but ░░░░░░░░ has been interesting to ░░░░░░░░ Brian thanks so much ░░░░░░░░ Stelter for us.”