Trump-Kanye West meeting: Rapper rants and swears at surreal White House lunch on day president signs 'historic' music bill

Rapper hugs Donald Trump while wearing a 'Make America Great Again' hat

Donald Trump meets with Kanye West and former American Footballer Jim Brown at the White House

Kanye West has launched into an expletive-filled rant touching on everything from prison reform to how Donald Trump makes him feel like “Superman” as part of a surreal meeting in the White House.

West, who lavished praise on the president ahead of a planned lunch, launched into a near 10-minute monologue that Mr Trump called “quite something”.

Referring the Make America Great Again hat he was wearing while sat across from Mr Trump in the Oval Office he said that it felt like it gave him “power”.

“There was something about putting this hat on that made me feel like Superman,” West said, as part of the speech that spanned topics from his mental health - saying he did not have dipolar disorder, but was merely “sleep deprived” - and violence in Chicago.

The rapper has been criticised over his for his support for Mr Trump, including after a recent appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

“People expect that if you're black you have to be Democrat,” he said. “What I need Saturday Night Live to improve on, what I need the liberals to improve on: if he don't look good, we don't look good,” West said, gesturing at Mr Trump.

Taking out his phone, he showed the president an image of a hydrogen-powered plane and suggested the president should use the design for Air Force One.

West also said he would like Mr Trump to ditch talk about persuading police in Chicago to institute “stop and frisk” policies to crack down on crime and violence.

“I didn't mean to put you on the (spot), bro,” West told Mr Trump, who said “I'm open to everything” about the subject, adding that West could speak for him “any time” as he was a “smart cookie”.

West also said the president is on a “hero's journey.”

“Let's stop worrying about the future, all we have is today,” the music star said, commenting on his own presidential ambitions. “Trump is on his hero's journey right now. He might not have thought he'd have a crazy mother-f***** like me [supporting him].”

Asked if he saw West as a potential presidential candidate Mr Trump said “could very well be” with West adding “only after 2024” - the end of a potential second White House term for Mr Trump.

Over lunch, according to White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, Mr Trump and his guests - which include former NFL running back Jim Brown and White House advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump - would discuss potential future pardons for convicts along with “addressing the massive violent crime surge in Chicago” and efforts to create jobs for black Americans.

Kim Kardashian-West, who is married to the rapper, had previously raised the issue of pardons in a White House meeting of her own.

Before leaving the Oval Office for the lunch of roast chicken and potatoes West stood up and gave Mr Trump a hug, saying: “I love this man”.

If you want to read how the meeting unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below.

Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load.

[11 October 2018 18:17 · Chris Stevenson]

West is asked about whether Mr Trump supports black people:

West: "We need to support everyone... but we get caught up in the idea of racism."

"We focus on the idea of people being racist... which we definitely have to discuss... but there is this hate building."

[11 October 2018 18:20 · Chris Stevenson]

He is talking about police violence, and says that that it is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

Turning to liberals he says that "liberals try to control black people through the concept of racism".

[11 October 2018 18:21 · Chris Stevenson]

One reporter tries to ask a second question:

Kanye West: "I don't answer questions in short soundbites, you are tasting a fine wine here... you need to be playing 4D chess with me like its Minority Report"

[11 October 2018 18:22 · Chris Stevenson]

Mr Trump says he is "open-minded" about West's ideas

[11 October 2018 18:24 · Chris Stevenson]

He says that West can speak for him "any time" when asked if he would like the rapper to appear at a rally for him.

[11 October 2018 18:24 · Chris Stevenson]

Mr Trump asks how it feels to be in the Oval Office:

West says there is "good energy in here".

[11 October 2018 18:25 · Chris Stevenson]

Mr Trump says that "this is the meeting that people want" him to take today. He says that nobody cared about the senators he was meeting today.

[11 October 2018 18:26 · Chris Stevenson]

"We are going to look at stop and frisk," says Mr Trump, speaking about a former policy that had proven to be a failure.

"We all agree we have to do something" about the violence in Chicago, the president says - adding that he has "nice things" in the city.

[11 October 2018 18:27 · Chris Stevenson]

This was just set up to be a linch with two people that I like says the president.

West says "he loves" the president and gets up to give him a hug.

[11 October 2018 18:28 · Chris Stevenson]

Mr Trump calls West and Mr Brown "special people" before ending the meeting to go to lunch.