A$AP Rocky latest: Donald Trump 'is working to bring rapper back to US' after wife Melania alerted him to case

Stephanie Cockroft19 July 2019

Donald Trump says he and Melania are working with officials to try to bring rapper A$AP Rocky back to the US.

The platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated artist - whose real name is Rakim Mayers - has been behind bars in Sweden while police investigate a fight in Stockholm earlier this month. Mayer is being held for suspected assault.

Mr Trump said he did not know the rapper personally but that many members of the African American community had contacted him and asked him to intervene.

He said he was first alerted to the case by his wife, the First Lady, who said the Trump administration was working with the State Department to "get him home".

Kim Kardashian previously tweeted to thank Mr Trump for his alleged intervention in the case.

Mr Trump later said he had spoken to Kanye West about the situation and that he would be contacting the "very talented" Swedish Prime Minister about the incident.

Getty Images

Mr Trump told a press conference: "Sweden is a great country and they're friends of mine and the leadership and we are going to be talking to them - we have already started.

"Many, many members of the African American community have called me - friends of mine - and said 'could you help'.

"I personally don't know A$AP Rocky but I can tell you that he has tremendous support from the African American community in this country - really from everybody in this country, because we are all one.

"I have been called by so many people asking me to help. Actually the one that knew about A$AP Rocky was the First Lady - she said 'can you help A$AP Rocky."

Mrs Trump added: "We are working with the State Department. We hope to get him home soon."

Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes and Nicki Minaj are some of the celebrities who have shown public support for the musician.

On Thursday, Kardashian thanked Mr Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner on Twitter for their "efforts to Free ASAP Rocky & his two friends."

She says their "commitment to justice reform is so appreciated."

It came as the rapper's detention was extended for six days while police continue to investigate the incident.

Mayer was detained on July 3 along with his bodyguard and two other members of his entourage in connection with a fight in a Stockholm city-centre street in the early hours of June 30.

Before his arrest, he uploaded videos to his Instagram account of an altercation with two men, saying they had followed him and his entourage and that he had not wanted any trouble.

The bodyguard was released without charge while a judge on July 5 extended the detention of Mayer and his two other associates.

The performer was in Stockholm for a concert, and has had to cancel several shows in his European tour.

A$AP Rocky on stage with Mary J Blige at the BET Awards this year
Getty Images

Soon after the news of his arrest broke, the movement #JusticeForRocky pushed for the rapper's release.

A petition calling for his release has also garnered half a million signatures.

Adriano Espaillat, a New York Democrat in the House of Representatives, is also pushing for the release of the rapper, who was born in the Harlem neighbourhood of New York City.

"Everyone deserves to be treated equally and ASAP Rocky's rights continue to be violated. It is not a fair process," the congressman said.

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