West's surprise candidacy made headlines when first announced on July 4, especially considering his prior statements in support of President Donald Trump, though many experts doubted if the rapper would succeed in getting on most of the ballots. In fact, many were confused, thinking that it might have been an elaborate publicity stunt. His campaign raised even more eyebrows, particularly after a rally launching it, having delivered a speech with a number of bizarre statements."Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves. She just had the slaves work for other white people," he said when discussing economic inequality."Freedom does not come from an election," he said. "The freedom comes from you not loading up the pornography. The freedom comes from you not taking the Percoset," a potentially dangerous pain killer.His speeches also revealed the more religious aspects of his campaign."The only thing that can free us is by obeying the rules that were given to us for a promised land," he said at one point. "Abortion should be legal because guess what? The law is not by God anyway, so what is legality?"West's wife, Kim Kardashian, disclosed on Instagram that her husband was undergoing a bipolar episode, with his diagnosis of bipolar disorder being something the family had kept from the public."Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor," she wrote, according to NBC News."People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individuals themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try."However, West remained active throughout the campaign, and insisted on voting for himself.Taking to Twitter on Election Day, West shared a video of himself voting, writing in a separate tweet that it was his first time doing so, "and it's for someone I truly trust... me."KANYE 2024 pic.twitter.com/Zm2pKcn12t
— ye (@kanyewest) November 4, 2020
The first vote of my life We are here to serve We pray for every servant leader in the world pic.twitter.com/UWSrKslCt1
— ye (@kanyewest) November 3, 2020
While West seems determined to run for the White House in 2024, it remains unclear what the next four years have in store for the 43-year-old cultural icon.Reuters contributed to this report.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.
— ye (@kanyewest) November 3, 2020