Last week, Kanye West followed through on his longstanding desire to run for president, announcing his campaign over Twitter and sitting down with Forbes for a wide-ranging conversation about his planned policies. He told Forbes that he decided to run because “God just gave me the clarity and said it’s time.”
God may have said so, but America doesn’t seem to be so sure. Kanye’s announcement was met with a wide range of skepticism and dismissal, and even some unconfirmed reports of concern. But Kanye seems to have at least one endorsement in the bag: his longtime friend, collaborator and protege Chance the Rapper. He retweeted Kanye’s very sweet tribute to his late mother Donda West with the caption “And yall out here tryna convince me to vote for Biden. Smfh”
And yall out here tryna convince me to vote for Biden. Smfh https://t.co/JgbGBmPQk5
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) July 13, 2020
Chance’s mentions were hit with naysayers in short order from many who said that a vote for Kanye would split the vote and help re-elect President Donald Trump, who Chance has repeatedly criticized. CNN commentator Keith Boykin, for example, told Chance that “if you use your platform to encourage Black people to vote for Kanye West, who has no chance of being elected to office, you will simply help re-elect racist Donald Trump.”
If you use your platform to encourage Black people to vote for Kanye West, who has no chance of being elected to office, you will simply help re-elect racist Donald Trump.
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) July 13, 2020
Chance responded to criticisms by saying he didn’t find a Joe Biden presidency much more appealing than Trump’s, asking his followers to “explain why Joe Biden would be better.”
Are u more pro biden or anti ye and why? I get that you’ll want to reply that you’re just tryna “get trump out” but in this hypothetical scenario where you’re replacing Trump, can someone explain why Joe Biden would be better??
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) July 13, 2020
Chance finally tweeted that he understood his critics but just didn’t see it the same way.
I finally got the answer now. I understand. Yall trust Biden more than yall trust Ye. I think I understand why, I just don’t feel the same way.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) July 13, 2020
Chance has been dabbling in a lot of interests lately, including diving into some reading of the late, great Black theologian James Cone.
