Kanye West Announces He is Running For President

Acclaimed rapper, producer and entrepreneur Kanye West announced his plans to run for president in the 2020 election. West posted this tweet on July 4, stating: “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”

Speculation surrounding West’s claim to run for president have been circulating, since West has not officially filed with the FEC, which is a requirement to run for office. On August 31, 2015, an individual under the name “West, Kanye Deez Nuts” filed with the FEC as a Green Party candidate. It is unknown whether this was West himself or a joke, however as of now, Kanye West has not officially registered with his real name or party affiliation.

Billionaire engineer and philanthropist Elon Musk replied to the tweet stating, “You have my full support!” West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, also showed her support by quote tweeting West’s announcement with an American flag emoji. West has been involved in controversy in recent years, from his apparent support for Donald Trump to his shift towards faith-based music and religion. West has performed at Joel Osteen’s megachurch with his Sunday Service Choir, which released their album Jesus Is Born this past Christmas Eve.

West released the album Jesus is King back in October, after many delays. Jesus is King featured tracks like “Closed on Sunday” and “Follow God.” This album was seen as turning point in West’s career, as it was his first faith-based album. According to his collaborators Timbaland, Ty Dollar $ign and Kenny G, they were required to avoid premarital sex during the recording of Jesus is King.

Recently, West was seen alongside protestors for the Black Lives Matter movement. West also donated $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. Additionally, West teased new album titled God’s Country and released a video for his latest track, “Wash Us In The Blood.” The video for this track included compilations of Black Lives Matter protests, COVID-19 patients, Sunday service and GTA.