Trump lashes out at Sweden: 'Give A$AP Rocky his freedom'

[left-of-center2012]

President Trump on Thursday forcefully objected to Sweden's decision to pursue charges against rapper A$AP Rocky, whose case the president has taken an interest in after it was raised by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West. The president tweeted that he was "very disappointed" in Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, who said over the weekend he would not intervene in the case despite a phone call from Trump.

"Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States," Trump tweeted. "I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly! #FreeRocky" ... "Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM," Trump said in a subsequent tweet.

The rapper was charged Thursday with committing an assault causing actual bodily harm during an altercation late last month in Stockholm. Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, and two members of his entourage allegedly assaulted Mustafa Jafari over the course of several minutes in the streets of Stockholm in an incident captured on video, according to The New York Times.

The case quickly gained traction in the U.S. after Trump said he learned of it from first lady Melania Trump and had discussed it with Kanye West.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/454806-trump-lashes-out-at-sweden-give-aap-rocky-his-freedom

[dalton99a]

1. The King of the World has spoken.

Obey him

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. So Sweden isn't supposed to be allowed to manage its own criminal justice system

without interference with Fatfuck 45 just because he wants to use the arrest of some rich black celebrity in order to "prove" he's not racist?

[Maxheader]

3. Maybe if we keep stumpy involved in

trivial events the bastard won't have time to start the war machine moving..

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. As long as he doesn't decide to invade Sweden in order to free Rocky.

[Sneederbunk]

4. They are toying with you Mr. President..

[Captain Zero]

6. Maybe Trump can get permission from Norway

For us to invade Sweden through it. Offer them some immigration visas under the table after Stephen Miller gets us down to zero immigration levels? If Trump can't get this guy freed asap, congressional hearings should begin.

[onecaliberal]

7. Or what? n/t

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. "If we wanted to fight a war in Sweden and win it, I could win that war in a week."

"I just don't want to kill 10 million people. I have plans on Sweden, that if I wanted to win that war, Sweden would be wiped off the face of the Earth. It would be gone. It would be over in -- literally, in 10 days, and I don't want to do -- I don't want to go that route."

-Fatfuck 45

[onecaliberal]

13. I agree, it's one of the things that keeps me up nights. I know without a shadow of a doubt he is

Stupid and evil enough to actually do it.

[magicarpet]

8. Navy Seals,.. Army Rangers,... Marine Tough Guys,...

... invade Sweden,.. 6 deferments,.. Chicken Hawk Commander in Chief says.

[handmade34]

10. "I watched the tapes"

so he thinks he knows the whole story

Trump is an ignorant ass

[Blue_Tires]

36. Yet he almost certainly was played the tapes

from the Saudi embassy and yet he found no wrongdoing...

[former9thward]

37. The tapes were very clear.

Did you watch them? If this was the U.S. the people who assaulted him would be denounced -- and on this site. But Sweden racists get a pass... Why?

[Celerity]

42. there are more videotapes than just the selective ones that Rocky's side is putting out

I am in Stockholm (and London) for the summer. I am in Stockholm as I type this. The exact intersection where it happened is Olofsgatan (where the fight took place, right around the corner from the main entrance of a giant food hall called Kungshallen on Kungsgatan, a main street) and Apelbergsgatan (the small side street they walked down after the fight.) There are CCTV cams everywhere down there and the prosecutor's office reviewed a lot of evidence from multiple videos, as well as taking multiple statements from other witnesses.

There is almost zero chance that the prosecutor's office (Åklagarmyndigheten) would move forward with a trial (especially one with such international notoriety as this) unless they were very certain of the events and also of the culpability of the people being charged. Rocky's lawyer appealed to the Swedish Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen, ie 'HD') and they refused to intervene after reviewing the evidence, so I am sure they have a solid case.

they did some damage

[mercuryblues]

48. Swedish law is also different from American law

You are allowed to defend yourself, or another person. What you are not allowed to do is beat on a person after they are down. Which the police and prosecutors have determined that Rocky and his entourage did.

[handmade34]

44. NO racists get a pass from me...

and violence does not get a pass from me

I have seen the video that ASAP Rocky's people put out and I have seen the videos of his crew throwing the man and starting to beat him... others here have posted more photos and the prosecutor in Sweden has said that there are many more videos and photos that the public has not seen...


I would bet that Trump has seen Rocky's video and that is all... Trump is merely trying to play to people of color and it should not be accepted...

[no_hypocrisy]

11. Yeah, like THAT has any currency . . . . . .

[Vinca]

12. Can we arrange a swap? The Orange Emperor for the rapper?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. I don't think Sweden would take him.

[Takket]

15. he takes more interest in a guy his friend asked him to get set free than he does kids in cages.

sick scumbag

[left-of-center2012]

16. Maybe Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West ...

Maybe Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West could ask Trump to
let the kids out of their cages?

[handmade34]

45. brilliant

[Shaddox]

17. Headline: Trump holds ABBA as political hostages demands return of Rocky Marciano from Sweden

[Blue_Tires]

18. Nice to see that Kanye can call his buddy Trump

any time one of his friends gets in legal trouble...

[Tipperary]

35. I still remember what President Obama had to say about Kanye.

And he was right.

[left-of-center2012]

19. Trump places tariffs on Swedish meatballs

[Blue_Tires]

20. There is something SO very fucking wrong with this

Somehow a brawl at a rap concert has become an international incident requiring direct intervention of the President and State Department while the Saudis can butcher an American reporter in their own consulate and he could give less than a shit...

[left-of-center2012]

23. "a brawl at a rap concert"

Actually it was a street fight outside a store or bar.
They were in Sweden for a concert, but this wasn't at the concert.

[Blue_Tires]

32. Yeah, you can tell I haven't been caring enough to keep up

All I know based on the chatter I see on social media, which says Rocky (who is facing a sentence of one zillion years) is the worst kangaroo court victim since Alfred Dreyfus; the normally liberal and open-minded nation of Sweden has become a worse merciless police state than old Communist Romania and is more racist than 1950s Mississippi....

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

21. They should send him an old case of lutefisk instead.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

22. Or an unassembled IKEA dining room set.

[Joe941]

24. ASAP should be freed but tRump shouldn't be publicizing this.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

25. Why? He was legitimately accused of a crime

and if he's acquitted he'll go free. Why does he need to be set free before a fair adjudication instead of being tried?

[ck4829]

49. Because he has money! That means he should have more freedom! /s

[superpatriotman]

26. I want to see the Faux Snooze klan take on this

Because it’s whats really important

[JCMach1]

27. Trump is actually right on this case

Did I just say that????

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. How do you know?

[former9thward]

38. Did you even watch the tapes?

How can you defend the attackers?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

39. That's not for me to say. That's for the Swedish judicial system to decide.

There may be other evidence. Just as in the US, he will be tried if there's evidence indicating that a crime may have been committed. Why not let the process continue? If there's insufficient evidence to convict him he'll be acquitted. Trump has no business interfering with the legitimate legal process of another country.

[former9thward]

40. Really???

So I am sure you don't object when other countries arrest and try people whose civil rights are being violated. When gays are hung in Iran. After all we have "no business interfering with the legitimate legal process of another country.' Your words not mine. Or we can only interfere when you think the cause is ok? Sweden is an all white country and if you think the justice system for foreign blacks is ok that is naive at best...

[JCMach1]

41. Watch the tapes...

This is pretty much a racist, anti+American, or just plain asshole prosecutor...

[handmade34]

46. there are tapes

you have not seen... and I have not seen, but I have seen the one where ASAP Rocky throws the guy across the street and it looks pretty violent to me... I try not to judge if I haven't seen all the evidence

[Tipperary]

34. No, not so much.

[Midnightwalk]

28. What about the moose???

If they have rocky locked up then where is bullwinkle?

Nothing good will come from this.

Free the moose!!!!

[tblue37]

33. The moose is realli nasti, you know:

Wik
Also wik
Also also wik
Wi not trei a holiday in Sweeden this yer ?
See the loveli lakes
The wonderful telephone system
And mani interesting furry animals
Including the majestic moose
A moose once bit my sister...
No realli! She was Karving her initials on the moose with the sharpened end of an interspace toothbrush given her by Svenge—her brother-in-law— an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian movies: "The Hot Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Molars of Horst Nordfink"...
Mynd you, moose bites Kan be pretti nasti...


Møøse trained by Yutte Hermsgervørdenbrøtbørda Special Møøse Effects Olaf Prot.

Large møøse on the left hand side of the screen in the third scene from the end, given a thorough grounding in Latin, French and "O" Level Geography by Bo Benn.

[sinkingfeeling]

29. Did the little dicator forget "or else!"?

[Buns_of_Fire]

30. The president now insists on being called "BFD Donald".

Watch for his new hit " (Big) Baby Got Back ".

[smirkymonkey]

43. Glad you have your priorities straight.

Asshole.

[miyazaki]

47. I'm sure his "music" alone is prison worthy.