A$AP Rocky Criticizes Trump’s Involvement in Swedish Assault Case: ‘If Anything, He Made it a Little Worse’

Jon Kopaloff, Mark Makela/Getty Image

A$AP Rocky addressed Donald Trump’s involvement in his 2019 Swedish assault case in his new documentary Stockholm Syndrome, which recounts the rapper’s 2019 assault trial along with his experience in a Swedish prison.

“In reality, I had no problem saying thank you to the man, especially if he helped me,” Rocky says in the film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. “That’s the narrative they pushin’: That he got me out. And he didn’t free me. If anything, he made it a little worse.”

In July 2019, Rocky, along with two members of his entourage, were arrested and accused of aggravated assault following a fight in Stockholm. Rocky spent nearly a month in custody following the assault, and was later found guilty during his trial, but was spared any more jail time.

Trump became involved with the case following Rocky’s first two weeks behind bars, tweeting about the rapper on July 19.

“Just spoke to [Kanye West] about his friend A$AP Rocky’s incarceration,” he wrote. “I will be calling the very talented Prime Minister of Sweden to see what we can do about helping A$AP Rocky. So many people would like to see this quickly resolved!”

Trump’s calls for Rocky’s freedom grew increasingly more irate the following week, as he posted, “Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM. We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem!”

In the film, Rocky recalls hearing his name on TV, along with Trump’s, while in prison in Sweden, joking that he thought, “Aw shit. Look like I might do a bid.”

“I’m sleeping in my halfway dream,” he says in the documentary. “I heard my name. I kind of opened my eyes and closed my eyes again and then they said my name again. And I opened my eyes and I’m like, ‘Yo, what the fuck?’”

“I kinda was scared that Trump was going to fuck it up,” he continued. “But then, on the other hand, I’m just like, ‘That’s what’s up, man.’ You want the most support you could and it’s like, ‘Oh, the president supports you.’ That felt good. Cause for the most part, I don’t think he ever knows what’s going on in the urban communities … I was thankful for that, I can’t lie. I was also scared that it would jeopardize me being in [jail] longer.”

While he was grateful for the former president’s support, Rocky likened the move to a publicity stunt, clarifying that Trump “didn’t free me,” and even “made it a little worse.”

Prior to the documentary, Rocky had already labeled Trump’s role in his freedom as a “misperception” in a recent GQ profile, adding, “He didn’t help—he made efforts and he rooted for me to come home, but he didn’t free me.”

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