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Video of artist Kanye West's Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump began to make the rounds on social media and on cable news programs Thursday afternoon. While many found the footage entertaining, not everyone is laughing.
CNN host, conservative political commentator and writer S.E. Cupp is one of those people.
While she agreed that some of the statements made by West were funny, she raised questions about mental illness and exploitation. In a discussion with fellow CNN personnel, Cupp stated:
"All jokes aside, I thought that was really... sad. I think you had there a man who's clearly not okay, and a President who's willing to exploit that."
"And worse, to exploit that under the auspices of race relations and Black communities, joblessness, mental health...all the things that ended up in this bucket of issues that were sort of addressed in this free for all. I don't know that any of them were very well served by this circus."
Watch her remarks here.
Sad. @SECupp said it best about the Kanye-Trump meeting: "That was really sad. I think you had there a man who's cl… https://t.co/CbYpiFQcUN— Brian Stelter (@Brian Stelter) 1539283210.0
Cupp is not alone in her criticisms or concerns.
@thehill Take your medication Kayne West. Your speech is very rapid, your ramblings are incoherent, your profanity… https://t.co/GTxBRvFQgo— Judica (@Judica) 1539287752.0
If Kanye West is having a manic episode in the Oval Office, it’s not appropriate to make fun of him and the languag… https://t.co/vjjGzjWKaG— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD) 1539279298.0
Kanye West said Trump made him feel like Superman. no Kanye, that's your bipolar disorder. "Bipolar disorder is an… https://t.co/FQq8O6fpJg— melinda hill (@melinda hill) 1539284461.0
I wish Kanye west wouldn’t encourage bipolar disorder unmedicated as normal. Do you all know what if feels like not… https://t.co/HBWUf22nVK— Kelsey (@Kelsey) 1538932876.0
@MSNBC @cthagod @craigmelvin Kanye West is unmedicated and visibly manic. It’s really inappropriate to and irrespon… https://t.co/LS51PBawd3— Erin 🦋 (@Erin 🦋) 1539285386.0
I am someone who has been very open about being bipolar, and I recognize it in other people. The rant that Kanye We… https://t.co/ukMDYpDUY3— Kevin Salisbury (@Kevin Salisbury) 1539279292.0
@brianstelter @ludlowjrollo @secupp What I saw was a sad mess - it was like Mental Illness Awareness Week and Infra… https://t.co/zOm4BQxf5Q— Clayton B. Shaw 🌊🏳️🌈 (@Clayton B. Shaw 🌊🏳️🌈) 1539285624.0
Although not everyone cut West any slack when they acknowledged he might be having a manic episode.
Some still found his comments or behavior inappropriate.
Kanye West is a perfect example that someone can suffer from manic episodes but also be a giant douche at the same… https://t.co/skrI7cv4lP— I’m The Mary (@I’m The Mary) 1539286459.0
Others echoed their disdain for West being placed in front of a cadre of media in the Oval Office by the Trump administration during the artist's mental health crisis.
@Acosta the president just let a manic depressive bi-polar with severe sleep deprivation go into an extreme moment… https://t.co/zmPseNLOd8— Queenadalite (@Queenadalite) 1539279783.0
@CBSNews Kanye West is in a manic state. He is diagnosed with bipolar and is unmedicated. This is super disrespectf… https://t.co/UrRFjAIr0c— Erin 🦋 (@Erin 🦋) 1539283489.0
I’m not a psychiatrist, and I don’t play one on TV, but I believe what you’re seeing with Kanye West is a manic epi… https://t.co/YIs26p0fGl— Gary "No Pizzazz” McLean (@Gary "No Pizzazz” McLean) 1539288024.0
@AltUSPressSec @realDonaldTrump If Kanye West is having a manic episode in the Oval Office, he doesn't belong in th… https://t.co/Rc59j57906— LindaHoney (@LindaHoney) 1539279531.0
@brianstelter @AprilDRyan @secupp Everything Trump does is a circus, so this should be no surprise to anyone. he's… https://t.co/X39geG9FzG— Matt Flanagan (@Matt Flanagan) 1539286186.0
Months after revealing he suffered from bipolar disorder, West claimed Thursday he was merely sleep deprived. However one well documented effect of mania is denial of illness.
Mental health professionals characterize it as the patient feeling they are 10 feet tall and Superman, making West's comments even more troubling. Hopefully, if—as many with firsthand experience with mental illness suggest—West is experiencing a manic episode, he gets the help he needs.