Kanye West announces on Twitter he is running for president. Is it true this time?

By Harriet Piercy

Published Jul 6, 2020 at 12:10 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

7459

Rapper and fashion designer Kanye West has threatened to claim the role of US presidency before in 2015, and now he’s done it again. On Saturday 4 July, West announced on Twitter that he would be running for president by tweeting: “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 Flag of United States! #2020VISION.”

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1279575273365594112

And, just like everybody else who heard the news, we wondered: is he serious? Surely if West meant it, we would be seeing a mad dash to catch up on campaigning with just four months until the election? Although West has already missed the deadline to appear on 6 major state ballots, 2020 has taught us that impossibility is always questionable. Has the celebrity taken any steps to certify his new shocking statement? And, more importantly, is West really running for president?

With 44 states plus the District of Columbia to go, we’ve dissected the possibility of West gaining a seat in the Oval Office. As an American citizen older than 35—fact: he’s 38—and having lived in the US for longer than 14 years, West already checks a few of the requirements for running for president in America.

Speaking to Reuters about what exactly West would have to do to launch a late White House bid, political scientist James McCann explained that the rapper has two options in doing so. Option one, he could try to secure the backing of a smaller political party such as the Libertarian Party (LP), among others.

In case that option didn’t work out, West could choose to appear as an independent candidate, which means he would have no affiliation with any political party. This would also require him to gather support and momentum very quickly from now, which usually means getting recruiters to collect thousands of signatures before the next two deadlines in August and September—a tricky task to perform in the midst of a pandemic, even for West.

Getting elected is complex. Each state has its own benchmark rules, and there are two key components for successful candidacy: time to persuade and money. West’s time is evidently limited compared to other candidates, however, the surreal following that West and his wife Kim Kardashian West both have on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram is immense, which could be seen as an advantage. For example, Elon Musk was quick to answer West’s #2020vision tweet with his support.

If West sets some forward motion to his promises, it’s hard to imagine what this means for Trump or Biden. Who will lose the votes that the rapper gains? From endorsing Trump to now potentially running against him, I can’t help but look at this and question West’s alter-motives as someone who has vocally shown his admiration towards Trump in recent months. Is he really wanting to run for president, or is he just trying to interrupt the current voting trends?

Another critical step that West would have to take is to register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and so far, there’s no public proof of him doing that. This has led to some speculation on whether this is all a publicity stunt in preparation for his upcoming album God’s Country due to be released soon. Convenient enough? 

Keep On Reading

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

From Michelle Obama’s braids to Puerto Rico’s new law, we unpack the global issue of hair discrimination

By Charlie Sawyer

Teenager commits suicide after falling in love and becoming obsessed with Character.AI chatbot

By Abby Amoakuh

Human rights activists petition to stop mass wedding of 100 orphaned girls in Nigeria

By Abby Amoakuh

Sex scenes in Netflix’s It’s What’s Inside pose questions about sexual consent during body-swapping

By Charlie Sawyer

Everyone cross your acrylics, Labour’s Renters Rights Bill might actually make a difference

By Abby Amoakuh

How mukbang YouTuber Nikocado Avocado tricked the world with hidden 2-year weight loss transformation

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

ShxtsNGigs face major backlash: When will comedians stop targeting Black women for cheap laughs?

By J'Nae Phillips

Cyber nostalgia: How Gen Z-coded Y3K fashion is going to shape the future

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

What Disney, Netflix, and Uber are hiding in their Terms of Service

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Kamala Harris’ next genius move: Leveraging husband Doug Emhoff and stepdaughter to win over young voters

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Internet erupts over deepfake porn video of Saltburn star Jacob Elordi

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

PrettyLittleThing’s chaotic open casting call event is the fast fashion brand’s latest exploitative venture

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Bryan Johnson, the man obsessed with reversing the ageing process, hosts Don’t Die dinner with Kardashians

By Abby Amoakuh

Who is Laura Loomer, the right-wing conspiracy theorist threatening Donald Trump’s campaign?

By Charlie Sawyer

Republican Rep says he’d force his daughter to carry pregnancy from rape

By Fleurine Tideman

When did travel become so… unsexy? Aviation experts and flight attendants spill the tea

By Charlie Sawyer

TikTok Tradwife Estee Williams tells women how to be feminine, fit, and friendly to attract a wealthy man

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

A woman in Nigeria is facing three years in prison after reviewing a can of tomato puree

By Abby Amoakuh

Internet erupts in outrage after Tom Cruise is forcefully kissed during Paris Olympics stunt

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Tokyo launches official dating app with single status verification to combat Japan’s birthrate decline