President Trump told the Swedish prime minister he would “personally vouch” for rapper A$AP Rocky’s bail if he is released from detention, as the Scandinavian nation explores potential assault charges over a scuffle the artist and his entourage had with men in Stockholm.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of assaulting a man in Stockholm, after TMZ and other outlets published videos that appear to show him throwing another man to the ground, before his associates then kick and punch the man on the ground.
Mayers has been in pre-trial detention since July 2, following a June 30. Two other performers he was with, Bladimir Corniel and David Rispers, were also detained.
“Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative,” Trump tweeted early Saturday, adding that he would speak again to the Swedish prime minister in the next 48 hours.
Just had a very good call with @SwedishPM Stefan Löfven who assured me that American citizen A$AP Rocky will be treated fairly. Likewise, I assured him that A$AP was not a flight risk and offered to personally vouch for his bail, or an alternative….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2019
….Our teams will be talking further, and we agreed to speak again in the next 48 hours!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 20, 2019
On Saturday, Sweden’s Löfven said he was aware Trump “has a personal interest in the case,” but had that it was not appropriate for the Swedish head of state to intervene, the Associated Press reported.
“I will explain that the Swedish judicial system is independent. In Sweden, everyone is equal before the law, and this includes visitors from other countries,” Löfven said.
Trump revealed Friday that he elevated the issue through diplomatic channels, after first lady Melania Trump, hip-hop artist Kanye West and a number of people in the “African-American community” brought it to his attention.
The rapper, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, is accused of assaulting a man in Stockholm, after 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.
The rapper says they 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.
The rapper has also found an ally in Kim Kardashian West, who has directly appealed to the Trump. Last summer, Alice Johnson, who had been serving life on drug charges, was granted clemency by Trump and released from prison after West visited the White House and appealed for Trump’s help.
The State Department announced on Wednesday that Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Carl Risch traveled to Sweden and is in the country currently.
The rapper is “suspected of aggravated assault,” according to a press release posted to the website of the Stockholm prosecutor’s office. But the rapper’s attorney told ABC News that he and his companions were acting in self-defense.
“This is unjust because he is incarcerated because the prosecutor is applying the rule of ‘flight right,” A$AP Rocky’s Swedish attorney, Sloban Jovicic, told ABC News in a phone interview on Friday. “There is no risk for flight risk or escape because A$AP would never jeopardize his career, brand, support from his fans, friends and celebrities all over the world,” Jovicic said.
“You have to also see this from his point of view, he came to Sweden to perform for his fans and he was attacked, followed and harassed,” Jovicic said on Friday. “My client begged and pleaded with these attackers to stop and he acted in self defense. And now he is the one in jail. That’s unjust.”
Trump’s tweets marked the second day of public presidential support for the imprisoned hip hop star — whose given name is Rakim Mayers. On Friday, Trump told reporters his office had been working with Sweden’s Löfven to get the star released.
