Kanye West, who announced he was running for president on July 4, held his first campaign event in South Carolina on Sunday. As expected, the rapper, 43, delivered an at times incoherent speech and even had an emotional breakdown on stage.
West made such ridiculous comments as “Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people” at the surprise rally held at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, where attendees were asked to sign a COVID-19 liability waiver, social distance and wear a mask.
At one point, West, who talked about how Kim Kardashian West almost had an abortion, started crying hysterically when he recalled that his father wanted his mom to terminate her pregnancy. To make matters worse, members of the audience heckled West, who had one person removed. In a video posted on Twitter, the rapper can be seen sobbing as he screams, “I almost killed my daughter.”
Although he eventually admitted that abortion should remain legal, he also suggested that each woman should receive $1 million when they have a baby. Meanwhile, he stated that marijuana should be free and discussed his own struggle with opioid addiction.
On Saturday, West teased the event on social media by asking supporters to submit signatures to get him on the ballot in the state. In his bid announcement, he said he was running for president to “realize the promise of America” with the hashtag #2020VISION. He reportedly got on the ballot in Oklahoma last week.
Some have wondered about West's mental state. Professor Jason Nichols, a senior lecturer in African American studies at the University of Maryland, told the BBC he suspected the rapper’s appearance may have been a "manic episode," though he stated that he was not a trained psychologist.
"He has admitted in the past he has been battling mental illness and that sometimes he does not take medication,” Nichols said. "He was a little more coherent than he has been in other times... when he has gone on these rants, but I really believe he is in a bad place right now. He said some really bizarre things."
To appear on the ballot in South Carolina, West needs to collect 10,000 signatures by noon local time (18:00 BST) on Monday.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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