MTV VMAs flashback: Kanye West announced 2020 presidential bid 5 years ago
Kanye West warned us.
The MTV Video Music Awards are responsible for many iconic pop culture moments and a handful of those involve the Grammy winner. Sure, there was the infamous Taylor Swift incident from 2009, but if you recall, they publicly squashed that beef six years later. (It was quickly reignited, though.) In 2015, Swift presented the 43-year-old rapper with the Video Vanguard Award where he quite memorably announced he planned to run for president.
“I’ve been conflicted bro. I just wanted people to like me more. But f*** that, bro. 2015. I will die for the art for what I believe in and the art ain’t always gonna be polite. Y'all might be thinking right now, ‘I wonder did he smoke something before he came out here?’ And the answer is yes, I rolled up a little something, I knocked the edge off,” West said near the end of his 11-minute speech. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen tonight, what’s gonna happen tomorrow bro, but all I can say to my artists is just worry about how you feel at the time. I’m confident I believe in myself. We the millennials bro. This is a new mentality.”
West continued, “I don’t know what I’m fitting to lose after this it don’t matter though because it ain’t about me, it’s about new ideas bro, people with ideas, people who believe in truth. And yes, as you probably could’ve guessed by this moment I have decided in 2020 to run for president.”
And here we are.
Kim Kardashian’s husband announced his presidential bid in July on Twitter: “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.”
Last year, West indicated he was serious about running for president — but in 2024. However, it seems he moved up his plan to help President Donald Trump. The rapper, who has been an outspoken supporter of the president, confirmed to Forbes earlier this month his spoiler campaign is designed to hurt the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden.
West’s win isn’t possible as he won’t be on enough ballots to secure 270 electoral votes — but that isn’t stopping the “Runaway” singer. He is on the ballot in Minnesota and Tennessee, but just missed the filing deadline in Wisconsin. The West campaign is gathering signatures to get on the ballot in Arizona and he's suing in an attempt to get on the ballot in the swing state of Ohio.
While President Kanye West and First Lady Kim Kardashian West won’t happen this go around, you never know in four years.
The socially distanced MTV Video Music Awards air tonight.
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