In 2016 during his MTV VMA Vanguard acceptance speech, multi-hyphenate Kanye West announced his plans to run for president in 2020.
With the 2020 presidential election only one year away, West has now shared he still plans to put in his bid for president, however for the 2024 race. West announced his new plans to run.
Speaking at Fast Company’s Innovation Festival, West, 42, was joined on stage by his Yeezy collaborator Steven Smith.
“When people say it’s crass to call yourself a billionaire, I say I might legally change my name to Christian Genius Billionaire Kanye West for a year until y’all understand exactly what it is,” he said. “It will be on the license plate.”
That’s when West shifted the conversation to his plan to run for president.
“When I run for president in 2024 —” the “Jesus is King” singer said, to laughter from the audience. “What y’all laughing at?”
West said that if he were elected president, he would “create so many jobs.”
“I’m not going to run, I’m going to walk,” he said. “What they’re saying is Kanye’s crazy — one and three African Americans are in jail and all the celebrities are in jail also because they can’t say nothing because they’re so scared.”
West also said he believes African American voters are treated as a “demographic” alone, something he said he has experienced as an African American fashion designer. Check it all out in the video below.