US President Donald Trump has personally vouched for the rapper ASAP Rocky's bail after a phone call with Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.
Trump tweeted Saturday that Löfven vowed to treat the artist fairly. Trump also assured his Swedish counterpart that Rocky was not a flight risk.
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
The President's tweet sparked an immediate reaction on social media. Some praised the US leader for taking an interest in the case of a US national imprisoned abroad.
President Trump is simply amazing. He truly cares for all Americans. There is no way the media can spin this.
— RD (@real_defender) July 20, 2019
Hang in there A$AP, the BOSS is getting you out of there!
— Adas (@adasomg) July 20, 2019
President Trump is very loyal to his people!
You are an excellent President that goes the extra mile to care for our citizens.
— Dawn Michael PhD💗 (@SexCounseling) July 20, 2019
But others were less impressed, noting how Trump’s apparent concern for ASAP Rocky’s prison conditions in Sweden contrasted with his hardline stance towards migrant families detained on the US-Mexico border.
Great. How about the refugees being held in cages at the border. Any help there Donnie? I mean more than just a phone call?
— Brian Eaton (@DONTBEATON) July 20, 2019
I know you love getting in the middle of high-profile celebrity cases involving unjust detention... but how about also doing something A$AP to get all those immigrant children and adults out of cages too?? #Trump
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) July 20, 2019
Are you going to release the thousands of Americans incarcerated in for profit prisons on bogus charges too??
— Susan Chappelle (@SusanChappelle1) July 20, 2019
ASAP Rocky was detained with three other people a day after giving a headline performance at the Smash x Stadion hip-hop festival in the Swedish capital. He was allegedly embroiled in a street fight on 30 June, with authorities saying a person was beaten and cut with a broken bottle at the time. Rocky has denied all the allegations.
The US rap star is set to remain in Swedish custody until 25 July while the police probe into the fight in downtown Stockholm continues.
Various celebrities close to Donald Trump, including television personality Kim Kardashian and her husband, rapper Kanye West, have been calling on Stockholm to release ASAP Rocky.