(XXL Magazine) – As Kanye West‘s bid for president in the upcoming election continues, reports have begun to circulate online, questioning the rapper’s motive to secure the spot as POTUS. While some critics are skeptical of his capability to uphold the esteemed position of President of the United States following his recent outbursts at a rally and on Twitter, others believe the rhymer could be being used as a political pawn to aid in President Trump’s re-election.
Late Wednesday evening (Aug. 5), political pundits like Charles M. Brown, a columnist for The New York Times, Chris Hayes, host of MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, and MSNBC correspondent Joy Reid detailed how Republican operatives are helping Kanye get on the general ballot to divert a portion of the Black vote from Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden.
THIS ONE —-> Republican operatives are helping Kanye West get on general election ballotshttps://t.co/KSUk68DKof
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) August 6, 2020
.@chrislhayes reminds us this is not the first time the Republican Party has used a third party candidate like Kanye West to their advantage. #inners pic.twitter.com/ICEDGKuPoe
— All In with Chris Hayes (@allinwithchris) August 6, 2020
Always pay attention to the story behind the story. Republican operatives are using Kanye West as part of the Trump re-election strategy. They don’t care about him or his mental health. They care about diverting Black voters and creating a new Jill Stein. https://t.co/ogru275pTO
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 5, 2020
In an excerpt from a recent article from The New York Times, the political analysts have all suggested that allies tied to the Trump administration are attempting to redirect votes from the current Democratic Presidential frontrunner.
“The effort to get Kanye West on the ballot as a third-party candidate in several states is increasingly looking like an operation run by President Trump‘s allies and Republican activists that is aimed at diverting votes from Joseph R. Biden Jr,” the article reads.
The New York Times has supported their claims by revealing another way in which Trump and ’Ye could possibly be cohorts in the election. Apparently, a lawyer who worked on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign is also responsible for handing in the “Ultralight Beam” rapper’s election signatures to Wisconsin voting officials. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also made a similar claim reporting that at least five people connected to Kanye‘s Wisconsin election signature submission are active Republicans or Trump supporters, despite Kanye openly stating he is running under his own political party: the Birthday Party.
A recent report from Real Clear Politics has Trump seven points behind Biden in a general election poll from July 21 to Aug. 5. While it is not confirmed that Kanye and Trump are working in unison to skew votes away from Biden, the slim margin between Trump and the former Vice President could potentially be a concern for the current Commander-in-Chief.
Despite Kanye and No. 45 fighting on opposite sides of the same battle, this isn’t the first time the two have shown support for each other. Back in July ,Trump expressed his support for ’Ye, despite the 43-year-old rhymer running against him. “[Kanye] is always going to be for us, and his wife is going to be for us,” he said to Fox News’ Sean Hannity, according to The Hill.
Meanwhile, during a press conference at The White House today, Trump has denied any involvement in Kanye West’s presidential bid.
“I’m not involved with it,” Trump says when asked if he knows of Republican operatives' effort to get Kanye West on some state ballots pic.twitter.com/Uxx8K5AnvQ
— Shakthi Vadakkepat (@v_shakthi) August 5, 2020
