This archive report was first published on 5 July 2020.
On a day when Americans celebrated Independence Day, Kanye West, the entertainment mogul, made a surprise announcement: he is running for the US presidency in 2020.
"We must now realise the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION," West tweeted on July 4, 2020.
West's decision to challenge Donald Trump comes four months before the November election. The rapper has been a vocal supporter of the incumbent president, despite being at odds with the left-leaning entertainment industry.
West's meeting with Trump in 2018 was a notable moment in their unlikely friendship. The two men hugged and exchanged words in the Oval Office, with West delivering a lengthy soliloquy to the president.
However, in a 2019 interview with Zane Lowe, West revealed that his support for Trump was partly a way to razz Democrats and that he had always intended to run for president.
West's announcement comes days after he released a new song, "Wash Us In the Blood," which includes imagery from recent anti-racism protests. His wife, Kim Kardashian, has also been involved in White House affairs, lobbying for criminal justice reform and securing a pardon for a woman convicted of a non-violent drug offense.
