A few examples notwithstanding, politicians namedropping rappers is never a good look. At best it's pandering, and on the opposite end of the spectrum, it's archaic takes on lyrical content. When Bill Clinton was in office, a connection was made between Eminem's music and the Columbine shooting, a take that has become increasingly tone-deaf in hindsight. And now, with Donald Trump in office, A$AP Rocky has found his name dragged into the ongoing impeachment discourse.
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The namedrop arose during a testimony from U.S. ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, who reflected on an A$AP-heavy phone call with President Trump. "It's true that the president speaks loudly at times and it's also true I think we primarily discussed ASAP Rocky," he explained, as seen in a clip below. "It's true that the president likes to use colorful language. Anyone who has met with him for any reasonable amount of time knows this."
To make the whole thing ever murkier, a testimonial from David Holmes, United States Embassy in Kiev official, claimed Sondland's advice was to "let [A$AP] get sentenced, play the racism card, and give him ticker tape when he gets home." For additional context, the reason Rocky was being discussed at all stems from his recent incarceration, which found Trump moving to intervene on his behalf; lest we forget "Get Home ASAP, A$AP." While it's hardly impactful in a political sense, the idea that A$AP Rocky's name can come up during such an impactful hearing is absurdly comedic. And yet, this is the time we live in.
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