Kanye West defends wearing ‘White Lives Matter’ shirt: ‘It was funny’

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight, Thursday. The hip hop star and clothing designer opened up about why he wore a “white lives matter” shirt earlier in the week. He has since received significant backlash for wearing the shirt, which he claims is not intrinsically offensive.

“I had someone call me last night and said anybody wearing a ‘white lives matter’ shirt is going to be green-lit, and that means they’re going to beat them up if they wear it,” Ye shared. “Okay, green-light me then.”

“So, the answer to why I wrote ‘white lives matter’ on a shirt is because they do,” Ye added. “It’s the obvious thing.”

Ye admitted he also thought the shirt was funny. He recalled joking with his father, Ray West, about it.

“I thought the shirt was a funny shirt,” Ye said. “I thought the idea of me wearing it was funny. And I said, ‘Dad, why did you think it was funny?’ He said, ‘Just a Black man stating the obvious.’”

While Ye claimed he wore the shirt for altruistic reasons, he also wore it alongside far-right conservative pundit Candace Owens. Ye also supported controversial U.S. president Donald Trump, proudly wearing one the former president’s signature “Make America Great Hats.”

“White lives matter” has also been designated by the Anti-Defamation League and as a white supremacist phrase.

Tucker Carlson Tonight airs weeknights at 8 p.m. on Fox News Channel.

Watch as Kanye West defends pro-life stance and slams media for trying ‘to kill us’:

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