On the Fourth of July, Kanye West appeared to announce a run for President of the United States. “We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future,” West tweeted. “I am running for president of the United States. #2020VISION”
It is, of course, most likely a publicity stunt. The entertainer recently struck a lucrative clothing deal with embattled mall clothing retailer Gap, and is teasing a new album release. In a very long conversation with Forbes, West outlined his “presidential platform” and in the midst of it, explained how he wants to take inspiration from Wakanda, the home of Marvel’s Black Panther.
Here is his quote on the matter, reproduced in full from Forbes:
Of course, it appears that West missed a key detail about Wakanda: that nation isn’t a democracy, it’s a monarchy. It is also fictional.
But then again, this is far from the only departure from reality in the interview, which also features such gems as this…
Ordinarily I would say that anyone who espouses such ludicrous ideas in public would be automatically ineligible to hold any office, because a society based in reason wouldn’t entertain them, and rational voters would naturally make an informed decision at the voting booth. Then I remembered that I live in the United States of America, a country that has spent the last four years ruled by a semi-literate, proudly racist narcissist who overtly kisses up to some of the worst dictators in the world and ignores science as a deadly pandemic kills hundreds of thousands, aided by the complicity of a political party too cowardly to speak against him.
So clearly, anything is possible.
