Kanye West says 'I like Hitler,' defends Nazis in Alex Jones interview

After months of controversy over his public anti-Semitic remarks, Kanye West has taken things to another level by enthusiastically praising Adolf Hitler.

The rapper and mogul, who now goes by Ye, sat for an hourslong interview Thursday with disgraced conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, who was recently ordered to pay $965 million in damages after spreading lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting.

Ye's rant began after Jones offered him a chance to distance himself from his recent anti-Semitic comments on social media, saying, "You're not Hitler, you're not a Nazi, you don't deserve to be called that and demonized."

"I see good things about Hitler also," Ye said. "This guy that invented highways, invented the very microphone that I use every day as a musician, you can't say out loud that this person ever did anything good, and I'm done with that. I'm done with the classifications. Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler."

Of course, Hitler did not invent highways or the microphone. The comment about highways is probably a confused reference to the Autobahn, a German road project that began before the Nazis came to power. It's hard to tell where the microphone comment is coming from; that technology was first developed in the 19th century.

At one point, Jones said that he does not like Nazis, to which Ye responded, "I like Hitler."

"I don't like the word 'evil' next to Nazis" Ye said when Jones claimed "CNN says white people are evil Nazis" inciting laughter from the host. "I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis," Ye continued.

A legal representative for Ye did not respond to EW's request for comment Thursday.

Ye wore a black hood over his face for the entire interview. He also spent much of his time mocking newly re-elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long been an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump but recently criticized him for meeting with Ye and his openly white supremacist ally Nick Fuentes. Ye brought a net and a can of Yoo-Hoo chocolate milk to mock Netanyahu's name.

"I just heard about this guy two weeks ago, and I thought he had a funny name," he said.

While Ye's comments were shocking enough to make even Jones seem uncomfortable, it's not the first time the rapper's name has been connected to Hitler. CNN reported in October that, according to several sources, Ye has long been fascinated with the Führer, and even considered naming an album in his honor.

"He would praise Hitler by saying how incredible it was that he was able to accumulate so much power and would talk about all the great things he and the Nazi Party achieved for the German people," an unnamed business executive who worked for Ye told the outlet.

The executive alleged that Ye spoke openly of reading Hitler's 1925 manifesto Mein Kampf, and expressed his "admiration" for the Nazis' use of propaganda. The source also told CNN that Ye's inner circle is "fully aware" of his interest in Nazism. Four other unnamed sources said Ye originally wanted to title his 2018 album Hitler before ultimately releasing it as Ye.

Ye's interview with Jones marks the latest and most disturbing incident in what has been a series of anti-Semitic remarks, beginning with him promising to go "death con 3 on Jewish people" in an October tweet. Since then, a growing list of professional partners have cut ties with him, including Adidas, Balenciaga, and the talent agent CAA.

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