Rapper Lil Wayne, born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., voiced support this week for President Trump’s plan to add a permanent ballroom to the White House, arguing the president was right that performers and guests have too often been stuck holding events outdoors.
“I’m so glad to hear Trump say… everything we do, we have to do it on the damn lawn,” Mr. Carter said during a Monday appearance on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, hosted by producer Benny Blanco.
“People who don’t know nothing [are] hearing that thinking he’s just being Trump — no, for real, I was glad to hear him say that,” he added.
Mr. Carter’s comments were rooted in his own experience performing at then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2023 event marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, held outdoors at the vice president’s residence, Number One Observatory Circle. The rapper said he assumed he would be performing inside and was surprised to learn otherwise, comparing the outdoor setup to a backyard cookout.
Mr. Trump has pitched the ballroom project as a long-overdue addition that would give the White House a permanent indoor venue for state dinners, diplomatic receptions and performances, while also improving security for large gatherings.
The security argument gained fresh weight after the White House correspondents’ dinner was interrupted in April, when a gunman rushed a security checkpoint at the Washington Hilton in an attempt to reach Mr. Trump and Cabinet officials before being stopped by the Secret Service. The rescheduled dinner was held Friday at the same hotel.
Mr. Carter is not new to expressing support for Mr. Trump. Just days before the 2020 election, he met with Mr. Trump in Miami and praised the administration’s “Platinum Plan,” an economic initiative aimed at Black communities, saying the president had listened and pledged to follow through on the proposal.
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