Kanye West has reportedly withdrawn from the US presidential race, less than two weeks after announcing that he would run. A member of West’s campaign team, Steve Kramer, has reportedly told New York Magazine’s Intelligencer off-shot that the rapper will no longer contest the election.
“He’s out,” Kramer told Intelligencer.
Kramer did not specify West’s reasons for allegedly withdrawing, but said he’d “let [Intelligencer] know what I know once I get all our stuff cancelled.”
Kanye West announced his intention to run for US president on July 4.
“We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” West wrote on Twitter.
“I am 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 🇺🇸! #2020VISION
— ye (@kanyewest) July 5, 2020
Initially, West garnered support from social media users, including from Elon Musk. The rapper later claimed that Musk would be appointed “head of our space program” under his presidency.
Kanye West’s presidential campaign hit a snag almost immediately, however, when it was revealed that he had already missed the voter registration deadline in six separate states. Despite this, West continued to campaign for the top job, telling Forbes that “if I win in 2020 then it was God’s appointment.”
The rapper’s presidential bid also caught backlash from a handful of his musical contemporaries. Katy Perry termed West’s decision to run “a little wild”, while Will.i.am opined that the presidency is “a dangerous thing to be playing with”. Elon Musk also reneged on his support for West following the rapper’s interview with Forbes.
Yesterday (July 14), a US presidential poll revealed that Kanye West had the support of just 2% of voters.
Outside of his presidential aspirations, West released a new single, entitled ‘Donda’, earlier this week (July 13). The song is a tribute to West’s late mother, who passed in away in 2007.