Kanye West apologises for calling George Bush a racist

Kanye West has apologised to former US president George W Bush for calling him a racist. And Bush, in turn, has replied, even if he got the rapper's name wrong. "I appreciate it," Bush said. "I don't hate Conway West."

Both men appeared on NBC's Today Show, speaking separately to host Matt Lauer. In an interview recorded on Tuesday (9 November), West expressed regret for saying, during a telethon appearance in 2005, that Bush "doesn't care about black people". "I would tell George Bush, in my moment of frustration, I didn't have the grounds to call him a racist," West said. "But I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human beings don't always choose the right words. And that's why I'm here."

Last week, Bush described West's 2005 comments as an "all-time low" in his presidency. "It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business,'" he explained. "It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist'. I resent it, it's not true."

Yesterday, Lauer played West's apology to Bush and asked if he could now forgive the rapper. "Absolutely," he said, going on to mispronounce West's name. "I'm not a hater, I didn't hate Conway West ... I was talking about an environment in which people were willing to say things that hurt ... It wasn't just Conway – Kanye – West who was talking like that during Katrina."

Despite this apparent reconciliation, West opened fire on Lauer before either interview had aired, accusing the TV host of manipulating him. "HE TRIED TO FORCE MY ANSWERS," West tweeted on Tuesday night. "It was very brutal ... It's all a fucking set up!!!!" The rapper has since resolved not to "do press any more".