Kanye West battles Trump, Biden for US presidential bid

Kanye West has announced he is running for US president – and he has already won the backing of billionaire Elon Musk.

The American rap star posted a message to his 29.4 million Twitter followers in which he suggested he was entering the 2020 presidential race.

“We must now realize (sic) 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.”

Tesla chief executive Musk responded to West’s tweet, saying: “You have my full support!”Advertisement

West’s wife, reality TV star Kim Kardashian West, also responded to her husband’s message by retweeting it with an emoji depicting the American flag.

The deadline to add independent candidates to the ballot has not yet passed in many states.

US President Donald Trump – who West has been a vocal supporter of in the past – is set to go head-to-head with Democratic candidate Joe Biden in November’s election.

West visited Mr Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in October 2018, where the music star was sporting a red “Make America Great Again” cap.

It is not the first time that 43-year-old West has announced he is running for president.

The rapper – who is said to have a net worth valued at $1.3bn (£1.05bn) – told a crowd at a New York business festival last year that he would run for president in 2024.

And at MTV’s Video Music Awards in 2015, West said he had “decided in 2020 to run for president”.