WASHINGTON — Rapper Kanye West has been invited to the White House.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says West is scheduled to have lunch with President Trump on Thursday and meet with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Sanders said Tuesday that they’ll talk about manufacturing, prison reform, preventing gang violence and reducing violence in Chicago, where West grew up.

Trump recently tweeted praise for West, who closed a “Saturday Night Live” show wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat and delivering an unscripted pro-Trump message after the credits rolled.

West is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, who successfully pushed Trump to grant a pardon for a drug offender this year and has met with senior aides regarding criminal justice reform.

During his “Saturday Night Live” appearance, West sought to tamp down criticism about his relationship with the president.

“There’s so many times I talk to, like, a white person about this and they say, ‘How could you like Trump? He’s racist.’ Well, uh, if I was concerned about racism, I would’ve moved out of America a long time ago,” West said.

He has previously said he would have voted for Trump – if he had voted.