In a whirlwind turn of events Wednesday, it appears that Kanye West is still running for president. Despite earlier claims that the rapper removed himself from the race, a new report shows Kanye actually completed the first necessary step in becoming an official candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
A report from TMZ Wednesday contradicts recent news that Kanye pulled out of his bid for the White House. According to the report, the rapper did quite the opposite. Apparently, West has now filed the first form required by the Federal Election Commission to make a presidential campaign official. The paperwork declares the Kanye 2020 committee serves as the “Principal Campaign Committee” and backs Kanye as their candidate. TMZ’s report states Kanye 2020 said they are affiliated not with the Democratic nor Republican party, rather the BDY, which stands for Birthday Party.
The next step for Kanye is now to file another necessary form with the FEC, the Statement of Candidacy, which states he has either raised or spent over $5,000 in campaign activity. After Kanye files this paperwork, his campaign will have legal status under the federal campaign finance laws.
So far, Kanye has been endorsed by some big-name celebrities. Elon Musk was the first to publically show his “full support” for Kanye 2020, though he has since backpedaled on his endorsement, and Chance The Rapper similarily declared his support of Kanye over Biden.