Trump Threatened Trade War Against Sweden Over A$AP Rocky's Arrest: Report

BYAron A.Updated on September 26, 20225.3K Views

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images, Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about Operation Warp Speed in the Rose Garden at the White House on November 13, 2020 in Washington, DC. The is the first time President Trump has spoken since election night last week, as COVID-19 infections surge in the United States. A$AP Rocky attends 2021 Tribeca Festival Premiere of "Stockholm Syndrome"at Battery Park on June 13, 2021 in New York City

Sweden's Justice Minister reportedly claims Trump threatened a trade war against the country if they didn't release A$AP Rocky.

It's been nearly three years since A$AP Rocky was arrested in Europe after he got into an altercation in the streets of Sweden. The arrest garnered international attention before former president Donald Trump got involved. By now, it's well-documented that Kanye and Kim Kardashian played a significant role in bringing the matter to Trump's administration, who knew nothing of the Harlem star. However, it seems that Trump was allegedly ready to go to war over Rocky's release.

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Per TMZ, Sweden's Justice Minister claimed that Trump threatened a trade war against the European country if they failed to release A$AP Rocky from their custody. The Justice Minister said they received a call from Trump who said that he would impose trade restrictions against Sweden. Evidently, that didn't work out in his or Rocky's favor.

"If you can try and do something like this against Sweden, what will you then try and do to slightly weaker countries that don't have the European Union behind them?" the Justice Minister said, claiming that Trump used classic bullying tactics to ensure Rocky's freedom. He also said that their response to Trump's threats was critical to preserving democracy.

Rocky was arrested for assault in Sweden after he and his bodyguards got into an altercation with two men. Rocky and co. said they were being harassed and shared footage to back their claim of self-defense. Rocky was handed down a suspended sentence and released from custody.

[Via]

About The Author

Aron A.

Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.