Musician Kanye West set Twitter aflame on Saturday after making a Fourth of July announcement claiming he is running for president of the United States.
“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,” the 43-year-old rapper tweeted, adding the hashtag “2020VISION.”
Billionaire Elon Musk took to Twitter less than 10 minutes after West posted his announcement to pledge his “full support” for the superstar’s candidacy.
Kim Kardashian West, who is married to the musician, also posted to social media shortly after her husband’s announcement. She retweeted the rapper’s statement, adding a U.S. flag emoji.
How serious West’s presidential bid is remains uncertain, though.
The 2020 election is four months away, and West apparently has yet to file with the Federal Election Commission. He also has yet to qualify for ballot access in all 50 states.
The sole candidate named Kanye West in the FEC’s database for the 2020 election is a member of the Green Party named “Kanye Deez Nutz West” who has raised $0.
Many Twitter users this weekend expressed their disapproval or skepticism of West’s bid for the presidency, some calling his announcement a ploy for attention and saying his candidacy should be ignored.
Others on social media also pointed out the fact that West has supported incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in the past.
The rapper drew controversy in 2018 after appearing beside Trump in the Oval Office while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
Kanye and Kim Kardashian West have spoken with the president on multiple occasions about certain political issues as well.
West has teased a presidential bid before, however. He previously announced he would run in 2020 but later said he would postpone his candidacy to 2024.
“When I run for president in 2024, we would’ve created so many jobs that I’m not going to run, I’m going to walk,” West said at an event this past November, the Associated Press reported.
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