Kanye West's 2020 Presidential Run Has Social Media Weighing In

The 2020 presidential election is only a few months away, but Kanye West is still attempting to [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

The 2020 presidential election is only a few months away, but Kanye West is still attempting to elbow his way into the race. The rapper, who famously said he would run in 2020 in 2015, announced he plans to run for the Oval Office late Saturday night while the rest of the country celebrated the Fourth of July. While West got the endorsement of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the majority of Twitter users did not take his announcement seriously.

"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," West tweeted Saturday, without providing any further details on his plans to run. He included the hashtag "2020 vision." If West hopes to run, he would have to be a third-party candidate, as President Donald Trump is running for a second term and the Democratic Party is likely to nominate former Vice President Joe Biden. West would also have to worry about getting on the ballot in the first place, which could be difficult as all 50 states have different requirements.

Although West has supported Trump in the past, infamously meeting with him in the Oval Office in 2018, he has shown support for Black Lives Matter recently. He attended a protest against police brutality and systemic racism in his home city of Chicago last month. West also set up a college fund for George Floyd's daughter Gianna and donated $2 million to help the families of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.

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There were rumors that West's wife, Kim Kardashian, played a role in West's support for the protests. One source told Page Six Kardashian was a "catalyst" for his actions. Kardashian's representative said this was "not true," adding, "Kanye fully made the decision to donate and peacefully protest in Chicago on his own accord." However, Kardashian has made political moves herself, becoming a vocal supporter of criminal justice and prison reform. She met Trump in 2018 to help get non-violent drug offender Alice Marie Johnson's life sentence commuted.

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West first said he would run for president in 2020 during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2018, he moved his political goalposts four years into the future, saying he would run in 2024.

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