In a wide-ranging interview with Forbes released on Wednesday, music mogul Kanye West had strong words for the Democrat Party. West suggested that the party, and in particular presumptive nominee Joe Biden, are guilty of emotionally blackmailing him and other Blacks into voting Democrat. On July 4, West announced on Twitter that he was running for president as a third-party candidate on the new “Birthday Party” ticket.
The interview ranged on topics from prayer in school to China policy. But it was Biden and Democrats that the rapper and fashion icon had the most venom for. West believes that for decades, Blacks have been, more or less, threatened into voting Democrat.
“That is a form of racism and white supremacy and white control to say that all Black people need to be Democrat and to assume that me running is me splitting the vote,” West said. “All of that information is being charged up on social media platforms by Democrats.”
West registered to vote for the first time in his life on Monday in Wyoming, where he maintains a ranch near the city of Cody.
“The reason why this is the first day I registered to vote is because I was scared. I was told that if I voted on Trump my music career would be over. I was threatened into being in one party. I was threatened as a celebrity into being in one party. I was threatened as a Black man into the Democratic Party. And that’s what the Democrats are doing, emotionally, to my people. Threatening them to the point where this white man (Biden) can tell a Black man if you don’t vote for me, you’re not black.”
West was referencing Biden’s May 22 gaffe when the Democrat nominee told Black radio host Charlamagne tha God, “if you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”
“A lot of times just like political parties they feel all Blacks have to be Democrat. This man, Joe Biden, said if you don’t vote for me, then you are not Black. Well, act like we didn’t hear that? We act like we didn’t hear that man say that? That man said that,” West emphasized.
Until just a few weeks ago, West seemed solidly on the Donald Trump reelection train, ending texts with the message, “Trump 2020.” But recent events have convinced the rapper that he, not President Trump, is the man for the job.
“It looks like one big mess to me,” West said. Kanye didn’t approve of the president’s actions during the unrest in Lafayette Park a few weeks ago, adding, “I don’t like that I caught wind that he hid in the bunker.”
That said, West also had kind words for the current occupant of the White House. “Trump is the closest president we’ve had in years to to allowing God to still be part of the conversation.”
Thus far, West has no campaign organization — only a vision in his head. His advisors, for now, consist of his wife, reality television star Kim Kardashian-West; and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has already endorsed West. West has also already missed filing deadlines to be on the ballot in several states — something he believes he may be able to work around because of the COVID-19 virus.
Is it a publicity stunt? Possibly. West does have a new album coming out and he’s shown in the past that he’s certainly not above such a ploy.
But even so, it’s a publicity stunt that Biden and the Democrats can ill afford in an election year that is expected to be very tight. West would almost certainly siphon more votes from Biden than Trump, and we’ve already seen in this country the difference only a few hundred votes can make.
Photo: AP Images
James Murphy is a freelance journalist who writes on a variety of subjects. He can be reached at [email protected].
