This year has been full of unexpected and surreal events, but nothing could’ve prepared us for the latest news: Kanye West is apparently running for President of the United States.
During the celebrations of the 4th of July, the rapper and fashion designer announced his bid for the presidency in the 2020 election with a tweet in which he states: ‘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.’ The tweet was closed with the hashtag and the American flag emoji.
In just a couple of hours, many took to social media to either mock, examine or support the controversial tweet from West, making it one of the trending topics on Twitter.
While Kim Kardashian West’s reaction was to repost her husband’s announcement on her social media, Kanye’s statement received the approval of fellow billionaire Elon Musk. The 43-year-old rapper was recently captured with Musk in a glamour shot following the announcement of his partnership with Gap for his own Yeezy clothing line. The Tesla CEO wrote in a tweet: ‘You have my full support!’.
West had already shown interest in the presidential elections in the past: at the 2015 MTV VMAs, he declared his intention to participate in the race and reaffirmed it numerous times, stating that he would make a definitive bid for the White House in 2024.
Since Trump’s elections, both Kanye and Kim have spent time close to the White House. The rapper was also seen many times wearing the infamous red MAGA hat in support of President Trump, as well as being photographed with him at various public events.
Most people remain skeptical about his decision. There is much evidence to suggest that Kanye is not entirely serious: with no more than six months before the general election, it is simply too late for him to enter the Democratic primaries. And as revealed by Bloomberg, Kanye doesn’t appear to have filed any forms with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that would enable him to self-candidate for the office.
Between the speculation of a new album promotion cycle and votes manipulation, people will just have to wait and see. With the pandemic as background, the news of a possible new candidate have made 2020 even more bizarre and ‘surprising’ to say the least.
Words by Gennaro Costanzo
Graphics by Georgia Walters
