Controversial rapper Kanye ‘Ye’ West has confirmed he will be running for the US presidency in 2024 and has apparently invited notorious provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos to join his campaign.
West, whose legal name is now Ye, previously ran for the job in 2020 as an independent candidate, but conceded after receiving only 50,000 votes and failing to make the ballot in several states.
In a video posted by the X17onlineVideo YouTube channel, the 45-year-old gave a short tour of one of his ateliers where he showed off designer clothes by brands such as Balenciaga and Yeezy bearing the words “Ye24.” The cameraman then asked “So are you running?” to which the rapper says “Yes, simple.”
“It’s simple ‘cause ain’t nobody can tell me, you know, ‘You should say this, you shouldn’t say that,’ you know? It’s just we’re moving towards the future,” West added.
At the beginning of the video, West also introduced Milo Yiannopoulos, noting that the conservative author, commentator and self-proclaimed “ex-gay” is “working on the campaign.” “Is that an announcement?” somebody asked. West laughed as Yiannopoulos replied, “I guess it is. Thanks, I accept.”
West’s announcement comes after he was recently reinstated on Twitter following an anti-Semitism row, which saw him banned from the platform. The rapper stated he would go “death con 3 on Jewish people,” prompting massive backlash that also saw companies such as Balenciaga, Adidas, Gap, JP Morgan bank and talent agency CAA officially cut ties with him.
If West does end up launching a campaign in 2024, he will likely go up against former US President Donald Trump and sitting President Joe Biden, both of whom have suggested they will be running for office again.