Is Kanye West running for president?

Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West. BBC/Reuters.

Kanye West has announced on Twitter that he is running in the 2020 Presidential election. BBC. West has yet to file paperwork but he said on Twitter that "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future". West is too late to get onto the ballot in several major states but he could do so if he gathered enough signatures in other states. It is unclear what, if any, party West is running under, or if the run is even legitimate at all. West had in the past said he was going to run in 2020 but then pushed it back to 2024 after meeting with President Trump. West and Trump have a good relationship and West has been able to work with him before on criminal justice reform. West has been endorsed by his wife, Kim Kardashian West and billionare tech guru Elon Musk.

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

— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020

My Comment:
As if the 2020 election couldn't get any weirder, all of a sudden Kanye West announces that he is running. If this is legit it has a major chance of disrupting the 2020 presidential race to say the least. West is fairly popular and has shown political ambitions before.

However, is this legit or is West just trolling everyone? It's already too late to get onto the ballot in many states and even if he were to do so, there hasn't been any signs of West actually trying to. It's very possible that this is a publicity stunt. Say what you want about West, but he is a master of publicity, even if it's not always positive publicity. Either that or he's laying the groundwork for a more legitimate run in 2024.

But if it's real? It could utterly change the landscape of the 2020 election. I doubt there has been any polling done at this point but my guess is that West would take away a lot of votes from Joe Biden. Black people might support West due to his fame and his race while people on the left are desperate for a candidate that isn't senile, perverted and neoliberal.

I think West would draw some votes from President Trump as well. Many of Trump's black supporters might abandon him for West. That's not a huge deal as he doesn't have that much black support but it could hurt a little bit. I think it's also possible that the small but noteworthy contingent that supports President Trump for the spectacle of his presidency might be even more entertained by Kanye West.

Still, splitting the vote hurts Joe Biden way more than it does President Trump. Indeed, Twitter thinks that this is a conspiracy between the two of them to make sure President Trump gets elected. I'm pretty sure that if the run is legit that is how it would play out, with an easy President Trump win. It seems very unlikely though.

I do wonder why Kanye West is doing this though. He and Kim Kardashian West have worked with President Trump before and are some of the few celebrities that have any influence on him at all. I see little evidence that West was unhappy with President Trump, so his actions are a mystery here. I guess he could be upset about the George Floyd riots and the President's response to that, but that seems unlikely. I guess we will find out in the coming days.

Would I vote for Kanye West? Not in 2020. As far as I am concerned all that matters is beating Joe Biden and the radical left and President Trump is the best choice for that. But in 2024? I'm not sure. It would depend on West's policies which are a mystery at this point. I wouldn't totally rule it out though.

Of course, I think the most likely outcome to this story is that West is just trolling people, trying to gain attention to his work and possibly exert a little political pressure on President Trump and Joe Biden. I am guessing that in November West won't be on the ballot in any election and if anyone votes for him it will be a write in.

I can't help but to kind of want it to happen though. If West were able to mount enough of a campaign that he qualified for the debates it's be one for the record books. Can you imagine West, Trump and Biden all together in a debate? It would be pure insanity and one of the most entertaining debates in history. And I'd love to see the Democrats in third place behind their most hated President ever and a rapper/mogul who nobody took seriously.