Apparently, Donald Trump went to great lengths to get ASAP Rocky released from prison in 2019 during his presidency, even risking a war with Sweden in order to get the rapper back on American soil.In July 2019, Rocky was arrested for aggravated assault while visiting Stockholm after he and his entourage got into an altercation with a man in public. Rocky uploaded video footage to his Instagram account showing the assault.The arrested gained international attention, with many Americans (including some high-profile artists) demanding a boycott of Sweden. The incident also captured the attention of then-U.S. president Donald Trump, who took to Twitter to demand Rocky’s release. Trump said he was “very disappointed” with Sweden’s then-prime minister Stefan Lofven decision to not release the rapper.“Give A$AP Rocky his FREEDOM,” Trump added in a separate tweet. “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!”
Trump Almost Imposed Trade Restrictions On Sweden
Ultimately, Rocky was convicted of assault and given a suspended prison sentence. Since he had already spent over a month in jail while awaiting trial, it was determined he didn’t need to spend any more time behind bars. Rocky was also ordered to pay a thousand-dollar fine to the assault victim.
Now, a Swedish politician is opening up about the international situation and admits that Trump was prepared to go to great lengths to see Rocky released.
Speaking to Dagens Nyheter, a Swedish newspaper, on Thursday, the nation’s justice minister Morgan Johansson claimed that Trump threatened his country with “trade restrictions” if they didn’t release Rocky from custody. Trump apparently claimed that he was being backed by the head of the European Union.
“This story demonstrates how important it really is to stand up for our legal principles and not to take our democracy for granted,” Johansson said. “If you can try and do something like this against Sweden, what will you then try and do to slightly weaker countries that don’t have the European Union behind them?”
Rocky, who welcomed a son with Rihanna earlier this year, is currently under investigation for a separate assault that happened in Los Angeles in 2021.
The rapper was arrested at LAX earlier this year while returning from a trip to Barbados with then-pregnant Rihanna. He was released on bond shortly after, but the investigation remains ongoing. Rocky has cancelled several upcoming performances, as it appears he’s unable to travel outside of the U.S. at the moment.
Sources: Yahoo! News, Dagens Nyheter,
