Kanye West wants to get into politics, but he admits he’s never taken the time to vote.
In a new interview with Forbes magazine, West discussed his political ambitions, losing confidence in President Donald Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden not being “special,” and COVID-19.
On July 4, West announced on Twitter that he plans to run for president. Although several media outlets have pointed out that the deadline already passed to get his name on the ballot in many states. The BBC also reported that he hasn’t filed any paperwork to run.
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Forbes said it interviewed the hip-hop mogul on Tuesday over “four rambling hours” for a story published this morning. During the conversation, the rapper denied his presidential announcement was a publicity stunt to promote his new album. Here are some highlights.
Political Party:
With the 2020 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates already decided, West said he plans to run as part of the new “Birthday Party.”
He’s getting guidance from Elon Musk and Michelle Tidball, a preacher from Wyoming who will be his running mate. West said about the new party: “When we win, it’s everybody’s birthday.”
Voting:
West, 43, admitted he’s never voted in his life. But he insisted that will change this year. He said he registered to vote for the first time on Monday in Wyoming, where he has a ranch.
Trump Support:
The rapper, who has been sharply criticized for supporting Trump, told the publication he has now lost confidence in the president. “It looks like one big mess to me,” he said about Trump’s presidency.
“I don’t like that I caught wind that he hid in the bunker,” the rapper added, referring to news reports that Trump took cover in an underground bunker during police brutality protests outside the White House last month.
“I am taking the red hat off, with this interview,” West said, referring to Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap.
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Thoughts on Joe Biden:
The rapper said he isn’t looking to split the Black vote and hurt Joe Biden. Still, if it happens, it happens.
“I’m not denying it, I just told you,” he said. “To say that the Black vote is Democratic is a form of racism and white supremacy.”
As for Biden, West doesn’t think the presumptive Democratic nominee is “special.”
“Joe Biden? Like come on man, please,” the publication quoted West as saying. “You know? Obama’s special. Trump’s special. We say Kanye West is special. America needs special people that lead. Bill Clinton? Special. Joe Biden’s not special.”
COVID-19:
West said he contracted coronavirus and recovered from it in February. He told the magazine he hopes there is a cure soon. “We pray. We pray for the freedom. It’s all about God. We need to stop doing things that make God mad,” he said.
The “Jesus Walks” rapper also admitted he’s suspicious of any vaccines to prevent the virus.
“So when they say the way we’re going to fix COVID is with a vaccine, I’m extremely cautious,” he explained.
