Kanye West today appeared to concede defeat in the US election but suggested he would try to run again in 2024.
The Stronger rapper had on Tuesday voted for himself as the next US president after a long-shot campaign to try and get to the White House.
Later, the 43-year-old appeared to acknowledge that his 2020 bid had ended but suggested his quest was not over. He tweeted a silhouette picture of himself against the backdrop of an election map of the US, with the caption: “WELP Kanye 2024.”
It came after the unlikely candidate attracted nearly 60,000 votes, as of 7am UK time.
In Colorado, he got nearly 6,000 votes in a state that went to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. In Vermont, another state that went to Mr Biden, West got more than 1,200 votes, according to an Associated Press tally.
In Arkansas, he got 3,979 votes; in Idaho, he got 2,309 votes; in Iowa, he got 3,179 votes; in Kentucky, he got 6,259 votes; in Louisiana, he got 4,837 votes; in Minnesota, he got 6,796; in Mississippi, he got 3,009 votes; in Oklahoma, he got 5,587 votes; in Tennessee, he got 10,188 votes; and in Utah, he got 4,053 votes, according to the preliminary tallies.
Earlier in the day, the rapper, worth $1.4billion, posted a video of himself casting his vote in Cody, Wyoming.
He tweeted: “God is so good. Today I am voting for the first time in my life for the President of the United States, and it's for someone I truly trust...me.”
West got onto the presidential ballot in a handful of states, although not in battlegrounds like Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
His wife, Kim Kardashian, did not appear to be supporting his bid. She has given no public endorsements of her husband and, on Tuesday, she liked a selfie from rapper Kid Cudi at the polling booth captioned “Vote for Biden if you a real one.”
West, once one of Donald Trump's biggest celebrity supporters, launched his campaign for the White House in July with erratic statements that raised concerns over his mental health.
The 21-time Grammy Award winner said in 2018 that he suffers from bipolar disorder.
West loaned $6.7 million to his campaign, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission, and in a recent video emphasised prayer and family values.
However, his campaign has been crippled by a failure to secure his name on the ballot in multiple states.
High-profile figures weighed in as they anxiously awaited the results as they were announced state by state.
Talkshow host Jimmy Kimmel described waiting for the results as “like being awake during your own surgery”.
Many have called for calm and patience as votes are counted, particularly in states where votes cast on the day have been counted before absentee ballots cast earlier.
Avengers actor Mark Ruffalo called for a “deep breath” and added: “Remember the #RedMirage we won’t know in important states tonight.”
