West vs. Trump: Kanye West Is Running For President

Democrats and music fans alike think the divisive hip-hop “genius” is trying to spoil votes for the current Trump-Biden presidential face-off.
Wednesday 15 July 2020
What is Kanye West's game plan in attempting to run for president of the United States? Photo: AFP

In his latest seeming break from reality, hip-hop superstar and self-proclaimed “genius” Kanye West said he believes God told him to run for president, breaking away from President Donald Trump, who he has previously supported.

The red MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) hat, it seems, is off.

West said this in an interview with Forbes published last week, adding that he no longer supported Trump and also doubted Democrat challenger Joe Biden’s ability to unite black voters. “I am taking the red hat off with this interview. Let’s see if the appointing is in 2020 or if it’s 2024 – because God appoints the president,” the 43-year-old told Forbes. 

“If I win in 2020 then it was God’s appointment.”

 

Back in 2018 when West met with President Trump in a red MAGA cap. Photo: AFP

 

West is no stranger to controversy and eyebrow-raising statements. He first set off a furore among music enthusiasts and black Americans in general back in 2018, when he famously wore a red MAGA cap to a 2018 Oval Office meeting with Trump. He sparked his latest controversy when he tweeted his challenge for the presidency two weeks ago – a sentence that should hardly surprise anyone anymore these days.

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of Twitter users reacted to his announcement, with many questioning initially whether he would go through with his plan and others calling it a publicity stunt.

His wife, reality star Kim Kardashian, replied with a US flag emoji, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote: “You have my full support!”

Now, suspicions are that his vaunted run at the top spot is a ruse to spoil Biden’s challenge, as he largely avoided criticising Trump. 

 


West has yet to formally join the ballot in multiple states, but says he will make a final decision about running within 30 days.

Observers point out that despite his absence from ballots, a write-in campaign could damage Biden, particularly in swing states where Trump narrowly won in 2016. He has gained a measure of support from fellow entertainer Chance the Rapper, who equally raised eyebrows when the latter announced that he was in favour of Kanye as president.

 


Chance received no small amount of blowback on social media, as he doubled down on his support of Kanye against Biden. He asked followers if they were more pro-Biden or anti-West, and why. A few cited West’s anti-abortion and anti-vaccine comments as troubling stances for Democratic voters.