What should reporters make of Kanye West’s apparent bid for the presidency?

Keeping track of the superstar’s true political intentions is no small feat, writes Clémence Michallon

Kanye West held his first campaign rally in South Carolina (Reuters)

When Kanye West announced on 4 July this year that he was entering the 2020 US presidential race, the news was met with confusion. Was he serious? Could he even feasibly launch a campaign, less than four months before the vote? Should we be... curious? Concerned? A mix of both?

At first, it seemed like West’s presidential campaign would never become official. He hadn’t filed any of the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Of course, West has never held political office, but “I’m not a politician” has become a rallying cry for a certain category of candidates looking to enter the highest echelons of the political field, so that in itself wasn’t a disqualifying factor.

It seemed somewhat absurd to imagine that the rapper and fashion designer would actually make it to the White House. Then again, there was a time when people thought the same of businessman and reality TV personality Donald Trump, and look where that got us.