08 September 2018
Newsdesk
Singer John Legend is convinced his rapper pal Kanye West is serious about preparing for a U.S. presidential run.
The Flashing Lights hitmaker has announced his intention to secure the top seat in the White House several times, most recently during a radio interview in his native Chicago, Illinois last month (Aug18), when he revealed he is aiming to launch a campaign in 2024.
Some critics have brushed off Kanye's statements, but his close friend and collaborator John believes the hip-hop star's political ambitions are sincere.
"He's said it multiple times. Yeah, I think he's serious," Legend told UK newspaper The Sun. "I'd guess he'd run as an independent, but he's never told me anything about what party he would run from. But he's said multiple times that he's interested in running for president.
"And I think that's part of why he likes (current U.S. President Donald) Trump is because I think he sees some aspects of himself in Trump and sees that Trump winning makes it feel like he could do it too."
Kanye has stoked controversy for his public support of the Republican leader, who has repeatedly faced a backlash over hateful speech and unpopular policies, such as separating immigrant children from their parents upon entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico.
Kim Kardashian's husband also grabbed headlines in May (18) after his ill-advised comments about African-American slaves, insisting their enslavement was a "choice" they made.
John, who has been critical of Trump for years, has also criticised Kanye for his controversial statements, with the rapper posting images of texts the Glory singer sent asking him to reconsider his beliefs on Twitter.
In hindsight, John is happy his objections were exposed by Kanye online, because he is proud of standing up to his friend whenever they disagree.
"I was stunned when he posted the texts, but then, my other side of me was like, well, I'm glad I said what I said and I'm glad people know what I said to him," John shared. "So many people were worried that Kanye was saying the things he was saying and that there weren't people advising him differently. So part of me was happy that people saw that I was telling him the truth and telling him how I felt and I was proud of everything I said to him."
