Obama Calls Kanye West a “Jackass” Again

Beware, Kim Kardashian: President Barack Obama still has mixed feelings about Kanye West.
Back in September 2009, Obama, 50, famously let his opinion be known about West’s onstage ambush of Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards, calling the rapper, 34, a “jackass” for the stunt.

In a brand-new interview in the May issue of The Atlantic, the President explains that he prefers the music of Beyonce‘s husband Jay-Z over Jay’s collaborator and friendly rival West.


“Although I like Kanye,” Obama says in the chat. “He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.”

When The Atlantic‘s David Samuels reminds Obama of his 2009 “jackass” snipe, he replied, “He is a jackass. . . But he’s talented.”


Obama told CNBC in 2009 that West’s onstage antics (which devastated Swift) were “wildly inappropriate.” (Seemingly intoxicated, West ranted that Swift didn’t deserve her Best Female Video award as much as fellow nominee Beyonce.)

“The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person,” Obama complained. “She’s getting her award. What’s he doing up there? He’s a jackass.”
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