People gathered in and around Trump Tower got a surprise Tuesday morning when rapper Kanye West showed up with his entourage in tow for a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump.
West and Trump met for about a half hour but it was not immediately clear what they discussed.
The pair posed for photos together after the meeting.
"We've been friends for a long time," Trump said as West stayed quiet beside him. The rapper said only that he wanted to pose for photos with Trump.
>> Related: Kanye West to audience: 'I would have voted on Trump'
West has previously voiced his support for the president-elect. At a concert last month in California, West sparked indignation when he said he didn't vote in November.
"But if I would have voted, I would have voted for Trump," he said.
He told concertgoers that Trump's "method of communication has proven that it can beat a politically correct way of communication," and praised his "nonpolitical methods."
West has kept a low profile since late last month, after he showed up late to a scheduled performance in Sacramento, California. He launched into a profanity-laced rant on a variety of topics, including MTV, Beyonce and politics, before abruptly canceling his show.
A few days later, the remaining dates on his Saint Pablo Tour were canceled and he was reportedly hospitalized for his safety and health.
West tweeted Tuesday afternoon about his reasoning for meeting with Trump.
"I wanted to meet with Trump today to discuss multicultural issues," West said. "These issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums, and violence in Chicago. I feel it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change."
West ended the series of tweets with the hashtag #2024. Whether or not it indicates a run that year is unclear. West previously said he would run for president in 2020.
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