Kanye West announces 2020 presidential run
Once a staunch supporter of Donald Trump, Kanye West is now running for the presidency himself.
The 43 -year-old rapper, reportedly the highest-paid musician in the world, announced his candidacy on Twitter.
"We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future," he wrote.
"I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION"
West may, however, have left his bid for the Oval Office a bit late, with the filing deadline for independent candidates having passed in several major states.
He will have to move fast to get his name on the ballot in Florida, Oklahoma, Michigan and South Carolina – states which hold 61 votes in the Electoral College.
It was also unclear whether he has started to file the necessary paperwork to get his name on the ballot in November.
West has already secured one high-profile endorsement, with Elon Musk saying the rapper had his full support.
The 21-time Grammy winner's presidential ambitions surfaced a few days after he released a single "Wash us in the blood".
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
He is also due to release a new album, "God's Country", in the near future.
A frequent visitor to the White House, West – the husband of Kim Kardashian – was one of Mr Trump's highest-profile supporters.
Now he wants to follow in the footsteps of his fellow television reality star.
Frequently pictured wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, West even released a pro-Trump song two years ago.
He once said that he and the president both shared "dragon energy".
Whether Kanye West will have a significant impact on the election is questionable, although there was some speculation that he could peel off black votes from Joe Biden.
As things stand the former vice-president is maintaining a healthy lead over Mr Trump. A Monmouth poll on Thursday put him 12 points ahead.
Mr Biden is also comfortably ahead in several key wing states including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and North Carolina.
In addition, the latest official figures show that Mr Biden raised more money than Donald Trump for the second month in succession.
In June the Biden campaign amassed $141 million - $10 million more than Mr Trump.
However, Mr Trump, who started raising money earlier than his Democratic rivals has put together a sizeable war chest just short of $300 million.
The latest Biden figures have not been disclosed.
