Rapper Killer Mike clashed with host Sunny Hostin on "The View" Monday after offering some praise of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, while also explaining he's focused on local elections when asked to explain why he wasn't endorsing President Biden yet.
Co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin asked Killer Mike, a longtime progressive activist, about why he was hesitant to endorse Biden, to which he replied people should focus on their local communities.
"We get caught up in the soap opera of federal elections and that's fine, but if you are concerned with the federal election, and you don't know your city council, your wardsman, you don't know who your mayor is, and you don't have a good list of state representatives or governor, then you're just a part of whoever wins the Super Bowl, the fanfare," he responded during his media appearance.
The rapper supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016 and also worked with Georgia's Democratic Sens. Jon Osoff and Raphael Warnock in their successful campaigns, which broke longtime Republican winning streaks in the state.
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He said the most important election for him is going to be Atlanta's mayoral race and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, who he said was doing a good job with housing in the city. Killer Mike, an Atlanta native, also offered some praise for Kemp, who he said has done a good job with businesses in Georgia.
"In terms of nationally, I’m just kind of doing what my grandfather said. Staying out of White folks' business and watching what happens. I’m going to see what happens. If there’s a candidate that pops up around September, October, that needs a push that’s really, policy-wise is good for us that’s going to jump up, but right now I don’t want to be involved in the soap opera because I’m worried about what’s going on in Atlanta on the hyper-local level," he said.
Kemp has a unique place in politics, becoming a villain among Democrats for his gubernatorial victories over party favorite Stacey Abrams in 2018 and 2022, as well as his support for voting reforms that liberals maligned as suppression tactics. However, he also ran afoul of former President Trump by not going along with his stolen election narrative in the state in 2020.
Hostin told Mike she lost him with his "support of Kemp," and the rapper pushed back.
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"Not support of Kemp," he said. "That's some misinformation. You can not like me, but don't lie on me."
"He's the governor of my state, I have to be involved with him, I can't divorce myself," he continued. "But let me say this, if you criticize someone, don't lie. Don't say I didn’t support [Stacey] Abrams because I did. Don’t say I don’t support Democrats because I’ve helped get three Democratic mayors elected, two state representatives elected, but if someone is in the king’s seat, I’m not going to not have dinner with the king on behalf of my people. I have to do that."
Hostin then provided Killer Mike with a list of Biden administration accomplishments for the Black community, citing low employment, investments in HBCUs, increases in Black wealth and more. She told the rapper that she hoped he'd consider her points.
The rapper was recently arrested at the Grammys, and told the co-hosts of "The View" that he couldn't speak about the arrest, but said it was water under the bridge.
"I think the backstage was overcrowded. I think the winners were exuberant, and I think security got a little over-zealous, and it’s water under the bridge for me," he said.
