Imagine someone telling you five years ago that a) Donald Trump was President of the United States and b) celebrities like Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian were helping him make really, really important decisions. You’d think they were either getting their wires very crossed, or they’d come into contact with some sort of mind-altering drug.
Alas, this is the reality of the world we currently live in, and although it sounds crazy, it’s not all bad.
ICYMI, three weeks ago rapper A$AP Rocky was arrested for assault after he was involved in a street fight in Sweden. Since his detainment, A$AP’s friends and famous followers including Tyga, Post Malone and Nicki Minaj have taken to social media in an attempt to convince authorities of his innocence with the hashtags #FreeASAP and #JusticeForRocky.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West also got involved in the persistent lobbying, but took their efforts one step further by getting President Trump on the phone to try and get A$AP Rocky freed.
“Just spoke to @KanyeWest about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration. I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!” he tweeted late last week.
It’s not the first time Kim Kardashian has reached out to Donald Trump for this kind of support. Last year, after Kardashian made a plea at the White House, Trump pardoned 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson who was sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for drug trafficking and money laundering, despite it being her first offence.
This year, the reality TV star helped free 17 federal prisoners by funding the 90 Days of Freedom Campaign, which allows some people imprisoned on federal drug offenses to seek sentence reductions, including those who are serving life terms.
Yesterday, Justin Bieber reached out to Trump via Twitter to chime in on rapper A$AP Rocky’s current incarceration and make a request of his own. “I want my friend out…I appreciate you trying to help him. But while you’re at it @realDonaldTrump can you also let those kids out cages?” Bieber tweeted. The singer was referencing an ongoing situation at the US-Mexico border, where some children are being held in detention centres.
Trump is yet to respond to Bieber’s tweet but it does remind us that despite the likelihood that the POTUS would be bombarded by thousands of similar requests on a daily basis, he’s more likely to take action when it comes from a celebrity.
It’s truly wild to think that this is the world we live in, but at least there is comfort in knowing these celebs are aiming to use their platforms to push for positive change and shine a light on injustices that need immediate attention.