Trump, Kanye West share praise-filled tweets

Washington, April 26 (IANS) US President Donald Trump thanked rapper Kanye West for his public praise, including an assertion that the two were brothers who shared "dragon energy", the media reported.

In a string of tweets on Wednesday that seemed to outrage and concern his fans, West tried to defend his admiration for the President from "the mob" of people who "can't make me not love him", reports The New York Times.

"You don't have to agree with Trump but the mob can't make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don't agree with everything anyone does. That's what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought," West tweeted along with a picture of his Trump-signed "Make America Great Again" hat.

"I love Hillary (Clinton) too," he wrote in another missive, referring to the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee who lost to Trump.

"Thank you Kanye, very cool!" Trump tweeted in response. 

The last time West and Trump met was at the Trump Tower in December 2016 to "discuss multicultural issues" and they haven't met lately, the White House confirmed on Wednesday night, reports Politico news. 

"I'll keep you posted if that changes," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. 

"I know they met during the transition. That's the only meeting I'm aware of that's taken place, or conversation, before everyone has a meltdown and thinks that we had a meeting last week."

Trump called West "a good man" after the meeting and said the two have "been friends for a long time".

West in 2016 said that if he had voted, he would have voted for Trump.

The positive relationship West enjoys with Trump is glaring, particularly because the rapper has been vocal about how past presidents handled relations with African-Americans, reports The New York Times.

West had once accused President George W. Bush on live television of not caring about black people, and he openly criticised President Barack Obama, who repeatedly called the rapper a "jackass".

West has long appeared to be fascinated with the possibilities of the presidential platform: In 2015, he seemed to enjoy provoking the public into believing he was interested in a 2020 run.