According to a new report by Rolling Stone, Trump’s fury at insults the rapper had said about him resulted in chaos in the White House — which almost undermined a monthslong push to secure clemency for an important music figure.
The campaign
Since late 2020, Snoop Dogg had been part of a campaign to convince Trump to grant Michael “Harry-O” Harris a federal pardon. Harry-O was a co-founder of Death Row Records, which signed Snoop Dogg in the 1990s, and at the time of the campaign, had been behind bars for three decades.
Breaking news
On Jan 18, The Daily Beast published an account of the secret campaign to secure clemency for Harry-O. Included in the article was a paragraph referencing Snoop Dogg’s previous criticisms of Trump.
The criticisms
“I don’t give a fu..k, I tell ’em straight up, motherfu..er: If you like that nigga, you motherfu..in’ racist,” Snoop Dogg said in 2018 about Trump, MAGA, and Kanye West. “Fu..k you and fu..k him. Now what?”
Controversial video
Snoop Dogg also appeared in a music video in which he aimed a toy gun at a clown that looked suspiciously similar to a certain former president. In March 2017, Trump tweeted, “Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!”
Tattling
Apparently, The Daily Beast’s reference to these insults inspired some administration officials to go looking for even more examples. A collection of Snoop Dogg’s criticisms were then shown to Trump, according to Rolling Stone.
Furious
Trump was allegedly infuriated by the evidence of Snoop Dogg’s public dislike of him. According to Rolling Stone, on Jan 18 — the same day The Daily Beast published its article — Trump instructed his aides to remove Harry-O’s name from the drafted list of pardons.
Panic
The news of Trump’s anger sparked panic among members and supporters of the campaign to free Harry-O. According to Rolling Stone, they began furiously working to convince the former president that Snoop Dogg had changed his opinion on Trump.
Madness
“It was chaos,” one former White House official told Rolling Stone.
Lucky break
Fortunately, members of the campaign had access to unreleased footage from an upcoming documentary about the effort to free Harry-O in which Snoop Dogg complimented Trump for the former president’s criminal justice reform.
Saved the day
A source told Rolling Stone that Trump was shown this footage, which apparently calmed him down. The former president instructed aides to re-add Harry-O to the list of pardons.
Last actions
This act would be one of the final things Trump did as president. The list of names included powerful Trump allies like Steve Bannon and Elliott Broidy.
Complimentary
In January, Snoop Dogg said in an interview, “I have nothing but love and respect for Donald Trump.” That praise was publicized by the Trump campaign in two separate email blasts.
Powerful involvement
According to Rolling Stone, Ivanka Trump “was a driving force in pushing Harris’ petition in her father’s West Wing.” Members of the campaign spoke with her, Jared Kushner, and then–Chief of Staff Mark Meadows about Harry-O.
The charges
Harry-O had been locked up for charges related to cocaine trafficking and attempted murder. “Over 30 years ago, I was part of the problem. However, over the years, I have repeatedly proven myself to be part of the solution,” he said in 2019.
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