President Trump slammed Sweden on Thursday, after prosecutors there decided to charge American rapper A$AP Rocky with assault for an altercation in Stockholm.
Mr. Trump said he was “very disappointed” that Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was unable to get the rapper off the hook, after the president personally intervened in the case and vouched for the artist.
“Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM,” Mr. Trump wrote.
The president said he’s received a number of calls from high-profile figures, including Kanye West, calling for U.S. intervention.
“Sweden has let our African American Community down in the United States,” Mr. Trump said.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of assaulting a man in Stockholm. TMZ and other outlets published videos that appear to show him throwing another man to the ground, before his associates then kick and punch the man on the ground.
A$AP Rocky says his crew acted in self-defense. He posted an Instagram video that shows his entourage telling two men to walk away and leave them alone, adding they don’t want to fight.
“I watched the tapes of A$AP Rocky, and he was being followed and harassed by troublemakers. Treat Americans fairly!” Mr. Trump said.
The president tied the case to his broader worldview, in which the U.S. lends a hand around the world but doesn’t see a return on its investment.
“We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem!”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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