New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu was in Washington, DC for meetings when a reporter approached and asked him about a potential 2020 presidential candidate. Being governor of the “First in the Nation” primary state, there’s nothing unusual about that. What was unusual was the name the reporter pitched him:
Kanye West.
According to Sununu’s staff, the governor was leaving an Axios News Shapers event Friday morning when a TMZ reporter approached and asked about Kanye as a potential POTUS candidate. “The governor responded that all candidates are welcome in New Hampshire for the First in the Nation primary,” a source said, echoing what Sununu told the Washington Examiner .
“I take great responsibility in trying to be open to everyone who wants to run,” Sununu said. “I try to invite everyone to come into the governor’s office, and if — for lack of a better term — almost be the referee to make sure they understand how the New Hampshire first-in-the-nation primary is done. So whether it’s Kanye West, who I was asked about yesterday, or Larry Hogan, or Bernie Sanders, everyone’s welcome to come into the corner office and I’ll explain to them the rules that we play by and the litmus tests we go by.”
Kanye has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of a presidential run, though most observers believe he’s been talking about 2024. However, the 2020 chatter re-ignited when TMZ posted a photo of West’s sister-in-law, Khloé Kardashian, wearing a tan “Kanye For President” hat last month.
But would West really take on President Trump, with whom he has an on-again, off-again fanboy relationship? After backlash over his high-profile Oval Office meeting with the president, Kanye– AKA “Yeezy” and “Ye”– said he was taking a break from politics. But on New Year’s Day 2019 he posted a series of tweets reaffirming his support for President Trump.
If the billionaire rap star does decide to enter the 2020 race, it will likely be a surprise to his wife, reality-TV mega-celebrity Kim Kardashian West. Last year she was asked about the possibility of adding “First Lady” to her resume by Ellen DeGeneres, and she revealed that the couple had never talked about a Kanye presidential campaign.
“That was news to me. That wasn’t a discussion in our household,” she told DeGeneres.“I believe he is serious, and if he puts his mind to something, he’ll do his best.”
He’ll also have to do it without the support of Gov. Sununu. He also told the Examiner that he’s supporting President Trump in 2020 and expects him to do well.
“I firmly believe Donald Trump is going to not just win, would win a primary in New Hampshire, I think he has a very good shot at winning the state’s four electoral votes come the general election,” Sununu said. “I’ll be supporting him all the way through.”
