The 43-year-old rapper billionaire, who announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in a tweet, will he launch at the last minute for the poll on November 3?

"He could. It's very interesting," said Donald Trump on Tuesday July 7 at the Realclearpolitics site. "If he did, he would have to see it as a test balloon for what will happen in four years," continued the American president who had received Kanye West, one of his most famous supporters, in the Oval Office in 2018.

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

"We must now fulfill America's promise by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States," Kanye West tweeted, adding the hashtag. # 2020VISION.

Nothing certifies for the moment the seriousness of this declaration. And it was not immediately known if Kanye West had taken formal steps to have his name on the ballots.

"You have my full support," replied Elon Musk, founder and managing director of electric car maker Tesla, on Twitter.

Master in the art of attracting the spotlight

If Kanye West's initiative, announced on Independence Day in the United States, is serious, he will have to overcome big obstacles in less than four months to join the fight between Donald Trump and the Democrat Joe Biden.

James McCann, a political scientist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, believes the easiest way for him would be to get the nomination of a small political party.

Otherwise, he would have to run independently but the deadlines have already passed in several states, including New Mexico and North Carolina. It would also need to collect the tens of thousands of signatures needed across the country before the closing of registration for an independent candidacy in other states, set for August and September. Last option: that his supporters write his name directly on their ballot.

"He has a long way to go to simply convince us that he is serious," observes Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Political Science at the University of Virginia.

Because Kanye West, like his wife Kim Kardashian, is a master in the art of bringing the spotlight to him. Last week, he signed a ten-year contract with Gap to create a line of clothing bearing his brand, "Yeezy".

With AFP and Reuters

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