This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
On July 5, 2020, American rapper, music producer, and fashion designer Kanye West made a surprise announcement on Twitter that he would be running for the US presidency in 2020.
West's tweet, which quickly went viral with over 450,000 retweets, read: '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.'
With 29.5 million followers on Twitter, West's announcement instantly made 'Kanye' a top trending topic on the platform.
This is not the first time West has expressed interest in running for president; he had previously announced his candidacy for the 2024 election in November 2019.
Some speculate that West's announcement may be a publicity stunt to promote his upcoming album, God's Country, which includes the single Wash Us in the Blood released just last week.
West and his wife, Kim Kardashian, have previously collaborated with President Donald Trump on several initiatives, including the release of prisoners.
