Kanye West Releases Campaign Video Weeks Before Presidential Election
Kanye West tweeted his first campaign commercial in his bid to become president of the United States, less than a month before the 2020 presidential election. As reported by The Inquisitr, West had announced his bid for the presidency on July 4.
The video garnered over a million views within an hour. In it, West stood in front of a black and white American flag graphic while he spoke about his core values. He wore a casual, black t-shirt and directed his speech off-camera. Close-ups of the flag were cut with stock footage of hands underwater, people praying at a meal, a bible study group, satellite footage of the International Space Station, and an elderly man being greeted by his family as West spoke.
“Our fellow Americans, that we all prosper together, we have to act on faith. With the sure knowledge that we are pursuing the right goals and doing the right things.”
The stock footage continued with firefighters running towards a burning building, a farmer in a greenhouse, and a woman washing dishes. As West talked about family values, photos of the rapper with family were shown.
“We will build a stronger country by building stronger families. Families are the building blocks of society, of a nation. By turning to faith, we will be the kind of nation, kind of people, God intends us to be,” he said.
The clip ended with text reading “Write In Kanye West” appearing on screen.
The tweet also linked to the website kanye2020.country. The site displayed the video, along with a number of apparel items for sale to promote the rapper’s campaign for president. This included hoodies and hats printed with “VOTE KANYE” and “Kanye 2020 Vision” that range in price from $40 to $160. The site also displayed West’s presidential platform; 10 points were listed, each followed by a biblical verse and quote.
“1. RESTORE FAITH AND REVIVE OUR CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND THE FREE EXERCISE OF ONE’S FAITH, DEMONSTRATED BY RESTORING PRAYER IN THE CLASSROOM INCLUDING SPIRITUAL FOUNDATIONS.
WE WILL NOT HIDE THE TRUTH FROM OUR CHILDREN, BUT WILL DECLARE TO THE NEXT GENERATION HIS PRAISES AND WONDER. PSALM 78:4”
Other tenets included restoring the economy, restructuring the education system, maintaining a strong national defense, reforming the justice system, police reform, environmental awareness, supporting non-profit groups, and fostering creativity and the arts.
A donation link for the campaign was at the bottom, with suggested amounts ranging from $20 to $2,800.
In a July interview with Forbes, the Jesus Is King rapper had announced he no longer supported President Donald Trump and named fellow billionaire Elon Musk as his advisor for the newly coined Birthday Party banner he planned to run his campaign under. Despite being denied from appearing on the ballot in multiple states, West was not deterred in his campaign ahead of the upcoming November election.
