On Saturday, just four months before the 2020 election, musician, provocateur and former ardent Donald Trump supporter Kanye West tweeted that he was launching his own bid to become president.
“We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION,” West wrote on Independence Day.
His tweet was boosted by his wife, reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian, and was endorsed by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Fellow artists like rapper 2Chainz griped that he’s upset he voted in Georgia’s primary elections, implying that he’d rather have waited to cast his ballot for West, but that won’t be possible in many states where deadlines have already passed for names to be added to preprinted voting forms.
So far, however, there’s little indication that West intends to follow through with his campaign announcement. No official FEC filing has been made under West’s name this year (back in 2015, however, a parody filing was made by Kanye “Deez Nuts” West).
In 2020, West would be forced to run as an independent, as Joe Biden has already become the presumptive Democratic nominee and Republicans are unlikely to substitute him for Trump. Deadlines to appear on several states ballots as an independent are also quickly approaching, and the chance to run in six major states, including delegate-rich Texas and New York, have already passed. West would have to assemble a campaign and file paperwork at breakneck speed to even be considered a viable candidate in the most traditional sense.
Of course, a West win could be possible (though, again, highly improbable) through a series of grassroots, write-in-ballots, which is more pie-in-the-sky thought exercise than anything else.
Making his prospects even dimmer, write-in ballots aren’t even possible in eight states, and even if he were able to win the popular vote in other states, he would have had to file before Election Day with many other states for it to matter.
So what’s West’s ploy, then? Is his last-minute campaign a bid to peel votes away from Biden? Or is the whole endeavor simply a PR stunt?
West has always found his way into presidential politics. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, West declared live on television controversially that “George W. Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” West spoke openly about what he believed to be the president’s failure to reach ailing Black families in Louisiana in the aftermath of the deadly storm.
After West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, President Obama called him a “jackass.”
In 2012, West accused Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney of not paying his taxes.
In 2018, West made fresh waves by coming out in support of Trump, calling the Republican president “his brother” who he said possesses “dragon energy.” In 2019 his defense of Trump became much sharper, accusing Democrats of controlling the Black community and teasing his own future run with a simple “2024.”
West and wife Kardashian helped promote criminal justice reform legislation and have visited the White House on a handful of occasions.
The Biden campaign has yet to make any public comment about West’s announcement to run for president. When asked for comment by ABC News, the Trump campaign simply said: “God bless America.”
He has NOTHING to offer! . . . why run for POTUS now? If he can’t see what POTUS Trump has done for the people of color, then he is BLIND as well. He is NOT POTUS Material, and I WON’T vote for him. he’s DEVISIVE, and we DON’T need that. Team Trump and his allies 2020.
Hey Kanye take your dancing monkey show down the road…saved?? My ass!!! You are nothing but a money pimp…stay out of our government…you are a disgrace!!!
He said he was running in 2024 you fools. Can ANYONE read? He SUPPORTS President Trump.
West would be better then biden and more honest
I hope Kanye helps Trump. I feel Kim is a little ungrateful towards Trump. She likes to take the credit for everything. Without Trump she wouldn’t have gotten the reform. She took all the credit for herself without acknowledging his cooperation. Obama did nothing for any black person in jail. But in the end I hope he helps Trump. I’ve always didn’t like Kanye because of the Taylor Swift thing and just respected him because of his support for Trump. Taylor on the other hand complained about Soros stealing her life’s work yet supports the democrats. That makes her a hypocrite. But for Kanye I just think this is another publicity stunt. You know those kardashian’s always need to stay relevant and Kanye does need his ego stroked too. Perfect match. But hope he puts his red hat back on. He’s not dumb and can see what the evil democrats are doing and knows Trump supports God.
As a 60 year old black American male (born black, live black and I will die being black) that has voted in five different states of union in residence though out my manufacturing career, NEVER had a voting issue in my life! Never had an issue from the age of 18 to now. I am a very proud right wing conservative Republican (card carrying), THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO THIS NATION IS a Joe Biden-Antifa, Black Lives Matter Democratic Party terrorist’s party win. Black Americans, wake up and leave the left wing terror groups slave plantation. You, the voter, become the master of your future and top the taking down of our nations democratic on statues and movements that installed left wing democratic slavery. ALL LIVES MATTER INCLUDING BLUE LIVES!
Trump supports God??! Really?? So God approves of someone who brags of “grabbing womens’ pussies, makes fun of physically challenged people, has a derogatory nickname for anyone he doesn’t like, suggests less testing for Covid-19, so the numbers won’t look so bad, while we continue to lose lives everyday, calls peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters thugs, and has them tear gassed and shot by rubber bullets so he can do a photo shoot, holding a Bible???…. I could go on!! Wake up, Trump is running the country to benefit himself, and the billionaires who support him, period!
God do not need anyone to support him, he is God the created, maker and king of all king and
heart beat of the world.