Mon 20 July 2020:
Rapper Kanye West has officially launched his US presidential bid in an unorthodox rally in which he ranted about historical figure Harriet Tubman and broke down over abortion.
The event, which took place in North Charleston in South Carolina, was West’s first campaign event since declaring earlier this month that he would be contesting the presidential election in November 2020 against Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Wearing a bullet-proof jacket marked “security” and with 2020 shaved onto the back of his head, 43-year-old West gave an hour-long rambling speech in which he ranted about abortion and pornography, and argued policy with attendees.
West told the audience at a wedding and convention venue in Charleston, South Carolina, how he had wanted his wife, Kim Kardashian, to get an abortion when she was pregnant with North, their oldest daughter. He then revealed his father also had wanted to abort him.
“My dad wanted to abort me. My mum saved my life. There would’ve been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy,” West said, bursting into tears.
He later shouted, “I almost killed my daughter! I almost killed my daughter!”
In an interview with Forbes magazine on Wednesday, West claimed to be “God’s candidate” for the White House, stating he no longer supported Donald Trump.
West missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, and it was unclear if he was willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others. Last week, he qualified to appear on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline.
West needed to collect 10,000 signatures by noon on Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law. The entertainer tweeted out a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed.
West’s speech was livestreamed on YouTube and clips later went viral on social media, provoking confusion, anger and concern for the musician’s mental health.
West, who is married to reality television star Kim Kardashian West, initially announced his candidacy for the presidency on July 4.
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