No evidence West is running for president
Rapper has previously considered seeking office
WASHINGTON – Just when you think things couldn’t get any weirder in Election 2020: Kanye West says he’s running for president.
The rapper, businessman, record producer, and social activist who once spoke of launching a presidential campaign for 2024, made his “announcement” about this year in a cryptic tweet on Saturday – though experts are unsure how seriously to take West’s proclamation, assuming he could even get on state ballots at this point.
“We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” West said. “I am running for president of the United States.”
So far, however, there is no evidence West has a campaign organization, nor is there any indication he has filed papers with the Federal Election Commission just four months before the Nov. 3 election.
The filing deadlines for independent presidential candidates in many states have either passed or are coming up soon. Qualifying deadlines have passed in Texas, North Carolina, New York, Maine, New
Mexico and Indiana. The last deadlines are in early September, just two months away, and candidates have to get thousands of people to sign petitions in each state in order to get on a ballot.
West would have to clear procedural hurdles to get on the ballot on any state, and with little or no organization. If he makes the ballot in only a few states – still a big if – he could conceivably take black votes away from Democrat Joe Biden to the benefit of President Donald Trump.
West, who has often injected himself into the political arena, has said both nice and critical things about Trump.
West’s latest claim that he may challenge Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden did draw some support on social media.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who supported Andrew Yang during the Democratic primaries, tweeted at Kanye that “you have my full support!”
The singer’s spouse, Kim Kardashian West, re-tweeted her husband’s declaration along the with the image of an American flag.
West’s candidacy, if it comes to pass, could conceivably help Trump in his reelection bid, analysts said.
Pollster Frank Luntz said that West could be a threat to take votes, particularly African American votes, from presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden – but only if West gets on enough state ballots.
Rachel Bitecofer, election forecaster and senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, said a serious West candidacy would “not be an insignificant threat” to the Biden campaign. “Celebrity is a major asset,” she said, adding that even if West doesn’t appear on ballots, he has the money and fame to mount a legitimate write-in campaign.
Bitecofer said young voters, particularly under 24 years old, would be the most likely drawn to the “celebrity effect” and vote for West.
“If I was on the Biden campaign today and this came across last night, I would definitely see it as a serious threat and one that I would want to avoid,” she said.