A$AP Rocky has reflected on Donald Trump‘s involvement in his 2019 assault case in Sweden, saying that the former US President “made it a little worse”.
The New York rapper was released from jail and handed a suspended sentence in Sweden in August 2019 after he was found guilty of assault following his arrest over a brawl in Stockholm the previous month.
During Rocky’s incarceration in July 2019, Trump tweeted to say that he intended to speak to the Prime Minister of Sweden “to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky”. The Swedish government subsequently clarified that they wouldn’t be interfering with the case as “everyone is equal before the law and the government cannot interfere in legal proceedings”.
Rocky has now recalled his assault case in the new documentary film Stockholm Syndrome, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Festival last weekend.
As Rolling Stone reports, the film includes footage of Trump speaking about Rocky’s case at the time of his arrest and incarceration. “I personally don’t know ASAP Rocky but I can tell you that he has tremendous support from the African American community in this country,” Trump says. “I have been called by so many people asking me to help ASAP Rocky.”
In the film, Rocky said that Trump’s decision to get involved in his case left him feeling “scared that Trump was going to fuck it up”.
“But then on the other hand, I’m just like, ‘That’s what’s up, man.’ You want the most support you could and it’s like, ‘Oh, the president supports you.’ That felt good,” he added. “Cause for the most part, I don’t think [Trump] ever knows what’s going on in the urban communities … I was thankful for that, I can’t lie. I was also scared that it would jeopardise me being in [jail] longer.”
At the end of the film, Rocky admits that “it was a chess move and they tried to strong-arm a lot”.
“In reality, I had no problem saying thank you to the man [Trump], especially if he helped me,” Rocky said. “That’s the narrative they pushin’: that he got me out. And he didn’t free me.
“If anything, he made it a little worse.”
Last month Rocky confirmed that he has worked with Morrissey and Rihanna on his upcoming new album.
