Kanye West was stumped by TV host Jimmy Kimmel when he quizzed the rapper about his support for President Trump.
The usually verbose artist seemed lost for words when Kimmel asked him why he thought Mr Trump cared about black people, “or any people at all”.
His silence on Thursday’s show prompted Kimmel to cut to a commercial break.
West, 41, also talked about designing clothes, his family, and mental health during his first appearance on Kimmel’s late-night chat show since 2013.
The host referred to West’s famous claim from 2005 that President George W Bush “doesn’t care about black people”, and asked the superstar: “What makes you think that Donald Trump does – or any people at all?”
West silently contemplated the question for several seconds before Kimmel suggested taking a break.
The hip-hop star has previously called Trump “my brother” and said they shared the same “dragon energy”.
Asked earlier in Thursday’s interview why he had decided to endorse Trump publicly, West said he hadn’t wanted to succumb to pressure to take the predictable option.
“As a musician, African-American… everyone around me tried to pick my candidate for me,” he said, suggesting there was a perception that “blacks can only be Democrats”.
Referring to the abbreviation of his first name that provides the title of his latest album, he went on: “If I’m afraid to be me, I’m no longer Ye.
“I quite enjoy [it] when people are mad at me about certain things.”
West’s free-wheeling answers made for an intriguing if occasionally baffling interview, with Kimmel appearing content to let his guest pontificate at length.
Relations have not always been so cordial between the two, who had a high-profile falling out on social media prior to their 2013 meeting.
The interview followed an appearance on entertainment site TMZ in May, in which West controversially claimed the enslavement of African Americans over centuries may have been “a choice”.
