This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
On Sunday, rapper Kanye West made his first public appearance since declaring his candidacy for the US presidency, delivering a lengthy monologue in North Charleston, South Carolina.
Wearing a protective vest and with '2020' shaved into his head, West spoke before a crowd of several hundred people, who had gathered in a venue where gospel music played before his appearance.
During the event, West touched on various topics, including abortion and religion, suggesting that financial incentives could be used to discourage the practice. He proposed that 'everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars' as an example.
West's speech also became emotional as he talked about his mother, who died following plastic surgery complications in 2007. He became tearful while speaking about her.
West's presidential bid has been met with uncertainty, as he has missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states. However, he did qualify to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot last week, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline.
Now, West needs to collect 10,000 signatures by noon Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. He has tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions can be signed.
