Valentine Weighs in on Kanye West's Tweets

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Over the weekend, Kanye West sent out a tweet that shocked the public to the point of him being immediately locked out of Twitter.

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Kanye has recently returned to social media with lots of conservative political commentary in the height of election season. This tweet faced a profound amount of backlash as being blatantly anti-semitic.

Eric Schmitt similarly faced backlash for a controversial tweet that elicited a heated response from Trudy Busch Valentine. Schmitt has since deleted the following tweet, but Valentine kept receipts and tweeted her response accompanied with a screenshot:

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Valentine essentially says Schmitt is in favor of those spreading antisemitism and that this would be dishonorable representation for Missouri. Schmitt did respond to his inevitable criticism, claiming that he was not aware of his recent comments and was commenting on his interview with Tucker Carlson, which was previously going on. Fox News aired Kanye and Tucker to discuss unrelated conservative commentary.

Conservatives have a tendency to use “out of context” claims as a defense mechanism for media backlash. We all have seen the media take statements out of context to fabricate them for publicity and engagement. While this is a valid clap-back in some cases, some statements will be taken at face value no matter the story behind it, and it will beg appropriate criticism in the media. Obviously, there are not many other ways to interpret Kanye’s tweet “I’m going deathcon 3 on Jewish people.”

Kanye West is notorious for his “outbursts” in social media presence in the context of his bipolar disorder, so many of his posts are undermined in the name of his mental illness. However, this tweet was so vile that it has no excuse regardless of the context. Given Schmitt’s social media presence, it’s reasonable to assume that he was aware of Kanye’s tweet before publicly supporting him.

Public figures like Kanye, Schmitt and Valentine all know how the media and news function in terms of spreading misinformation and bias. While it’s not necessary to always walk on eggshells and never speak our mind on social media, it is necessary to carefully think and consider the response behind it. Not everyone is going to dive into research to find context for a tweet or post that appears intense. As a public figure, protecting your reputation and carrying yourself well should be the top priority.

Valentine's tweet, although we can assume she’s very angry and wants to react in a hostile way, carries her disappointment of Schmitt in a very professional yet still emotional manner. She knows her audience and how words and narratives can be easily twisted and taken out of context.

Although it’s not appropriate to directly accuse Eric Schmitt of being anti-semitic, it is appropriate to criticize his support of someone who publicly and aggressively alludes to it. Reputation in the media is important and should be carefully examined before deciding who you want to represent your state; do you want someone who publicly supports those spreading blatant anti semitism and aggressive tweets to hold the power?

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