Lil Wayne is finally opening up about the infamous photo he took with Donald Trump in 2020 — and he’s standing by his decision.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Young Money icon broke down how the snapshot came to be and made it clear that public opinion didn’t weigh on his mind. According to Wayne, the photo wasn’t planned and came about casually during a meeting.
“There were people around saying, ‘Y’all should take a picture,’” he recalled. “Trump didn’t even ask for it. He was like, ‘People been asking me for pictures all day, man. Can we get this over with?’ I told him, ‘You’re the President. Sure.’ Then he was like, ‘Thank you. Folks been on me all day about this.’”
Wayne made it clear he wasn’t worried about the fallout. “Hell no, I don’t care about no backlash,” he said bluntly. “You know how I move. If my mama saw I didn’t smile in that photo, that’s what I would’ve gotten in trouble for.”
When asked if he would’ve endorsed Trump or supported his campaign, Wayne brushed off the idea. “I would’ve told him, ‘That’s probably not a good idea.’ I don’t keep up with that stuff. I can tell you who won last night’s game, but politics? Not really.”
Not long after that meeting, Trump granted Wayne a presidential pardon in the final days of his term, sparing him from a potential 10-year prison sentence over federal gun charges. At the time, Wayne expressed his gratitude publicly, saying, “I want to thank President Trump for recognizing that I have so much more to give — to my family, my art, and my community. And big thanks to @bradfordcohen for making it happen. Much love.”