Indiana Republican Todd Rokita defends Kanye after anti-Semitic tweet — saying it's just 'independent thinking'

Kanye West ended his Saturday night with a rant with the promise that on Sunday, he would go off after the Jews at "death con 3." The term is actually DEFCON, a defense readiness level, so it's unclear if the artist, who now calls himself Ye, meant he was going to war against Jews or he was going to kill Jews.

Either way, it spawned a lot of conversation about antisemitism and West's self-described mental illness. But among the Republicans who were willing to come out in support of West was Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita.

About 15 hours after West's anti-Semitic rant, Rokita posted on social media that the left was attacking West trying to "cancel" his fashion line.

"They have now gone after Kanye for his new fashion line, his independent thinking, & for having opposing thoughts from the norm of Hollywood," tweeted Rokita posting last week's op-ed from Ja'han Jones, a producer for Joy Reid, who appears to have come from Arizona and not Hollywood. As New York critic James Poniewozik highlighted the insult against people of "Hollywood," which can sometimes be another dog whistle about Jews.

"At that age and maturity level, petulant whining can sound revolutionary. But then, ideally, you grow up," Jones wrote.

"That’s certainly my story. And that maturity is pretty enlightening during the innumerable instances in which West, who formally changed his name to Ye last year, clamors for the public’s attention in deplorable ways. I have too much self-esteem to idolize Ye because I do not respect him creatively or intellectually," he continued telling his personal story and understanding of Kanye. "I’ve come to recognize he upholds his facade of brilliance in what seems to be an effort to mask his own self-hate and self-loathing."

But Rokita claimed that complaining about Ye's comments, and antisemitism means "you’re not thinking correctly" because "you don’t completely agree with them." He explained, "The left is dividing us, not uniting us."

Questions about Rokita's support quickly spread.

Even New York Times' Maggie Haberman noted the startling defense.

"Regardless of what motivates Kanye West, an attorney general defending someone for a lengthy public attack on Jews is a new dimension to 2022," she tweeted.

Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann said that it is clear that Rokita "endorses antisemitism."

Guitarist Charles Johnson called Rokita out as "an attorney general who cannot distinguish between blatant antisemitism and 'independent thinking.'" he went on to call it, "pathetic and disgusting," and asked, "So are you a Jew-hater too, Todd?"

"'Opposing thoughts from the norm of Hollywood'" sure is a weird way to characterize someone stating an intention to 'go death con 3 on Jewish people,' Todd," noted Jews for Racial and Economic Justice communications chief Sophie Ellman-Golan.

Timothy Burke also noted that Indiana "birthed the modern Ku Klux Klan" and now their attorney general "endorses antisemitism."

Ye has been locked out of his Twitter account after violating the terms of service of Twitter, which bans hate speech.

It remains unclear why Rokita chose to come out in support of the artist's fashion brand after the antisemitism.