Kanye West has appeared to suggest that he is running a spoiler campaign against DemocratJoe Biden in a bid to help Donald Trump win a second term in office.
In a text interview with Forbes magazine on Thursday, Mr West said he was “walking for president” when asked if he had chosen to run to hurt Mr Biden’s chances.
Commentators and pundits have repeatedly questioned the motives behind West’s decision to run for the White House, ever since his campaign was launched late, on 4 July.
At that stage, West had already forfeited 225 Electoral College votes, making it virtually impossible for him to win the 2020 race for the Oval Office.
When it was pointed out to West that it was unlikely he could win November’s poll, and that his campaign was being run as a distraction, he replied: “I’m not going to argue with you. Jesus is King.”
West, who has previously voiced support for Mr Trump and is running as an independent, was named on the Colorado ballot on Thursday, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office confirmed.
At least one Republican official assisted West with his filing, which was completed on Wednesday, according to the Denver Post.
Mr Trump has distanced himself from GOP operatives helping West with his bid to get on the presidential ballot in several key states.
“I like him. He’s always been very nice to me,” Trump told a White House press briefing on Wednesday before it was confirmed West made the Colorado ballot.
“I like Kanye very much, but no, I have nothing to do with him getting on the ballot. We’ll have to see what happens. We’ll see if he gets on the ballot. But I’m not involved,” he added.
West is living with bipolar disorder and has attracted controversy with a number of concerning social media posts in recent months.
Last month, his wife, Kim Kardashian, issued a plea for the public to be understanding of West’s mental illness.
West is a “brilliant but complicated person,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “His words sometimes do not align with his intentions.”
