Trump strikes back at Jay-Z after the rapper criticized his vulgar reference to black-majority countries

Matt Rourke/AP

Jay-Z.

• President Donald Trump tweeted at Jay-Z on Sunday morning, telling him that the unemployment rate among Black Americans is at a record low.
• Trump's comment came a day after Jay-Z criticized the president's use of a vulgar term to describe African countries, Haiti, and El Salvador during immigration negotiations.

President Donald Trump tweeted at hip-hop icon Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter on Sunday morning, telling him that the unemployment rate among Black Americans is at a record low.

"Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black Unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!" Trump wrote.

Trump's tweet was apparently in response to comments Jay-Z made during a CNN interview on Saturday that were critical of the president's reported use of a vulgar term to describe African countries, Haiti, and El Salvador during immigration negotiations earlier this month.

"Everyone feels anger, but after the anger it's really hurtful because he's looking down on a whole population of people and he's so misinformed because these places have beautiful people," the mogul told CNN host Van Jones.

Trump's January 11 remark, in which he asked a bipartisan group of senators why the US wants "all these people from shithole countries coming here," sparked widespread criticism from leaders on both sides of the aisle and around the world. Many accused the president of being a racist.

Jay-Z called Trump's comment, first reported by the Washington Post, "disappointing and hurtful."

Jones asked Jay Z whether it was okay for the president "to say terrible things but put money in our pockets," referring to Trump's claims about the black unemployment rate. Jay-Z said it is not.

"It's not about money at the end of the day," the rapper said. "Money doesn't equate to happiness. It doesn't. That's missing the whole point. You treat people like human beings. That's the main point."

Jones shot back at Trump on Twitter, saying he "ALREADY asked Jay Z whether black employment figures redeem Trump's presidency," and that Jay-Z's answer was "POWERFUL."