Kanye West apparently wasn't joking about running for president in 2020

Kanye West
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's not an "if" but a "when" for Kanye West's presidential bid, according to an interview the 38-year-old rapper/fashion designer did with Vanity Fair. After first announcing he'd be running for president in 2020 during a long and winding speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, West maintains that he is "definitely" thinking about it as a serious possibility, dispelling any suspicion that his claim was a joke or some kind of performance art piece.

WEST: I want everyone to win. When I run for president, I'd prefer not to run against someone. I would be like, "I want to work with you." As soon as I heard [Ben] Carson speak, I tried for three weeks to get on the phone with him. I was like this is the most brilliant guy. And I think all the people running right now have something that each of the others needs. But the idea of this separation and this gladiator battle takes away from the main focus that the world needs help and the world needs all the people in a position of power or influence to come together.VANITY FAIR: Sounds like a presidential stump speech to me. Are you still thinking of running in 2020?WEST: Oh, definitely. [Vanity Fair]

West continued, "I sit in clubs and I'm like, Wow, I've got five years before I go and run for office and I've got a lot of research to do. I've got a lot of growing up to do. My dad has two masters degrees. My mom has a PhD, she used to work at Operation PUSH. Somehow the more and more creative I get, the closer and closer I get to who I was as a child."

Watch out, Capitol Hill: Yeezy Season is coming.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.