Hip hop heavyweight and unlikely presidential candidate Kanye West has released a religion-steeped campaign ad that calls for voters to write his name in on their ballots and urges Americans to “revive our nation’s commitment to faith,” as West says in the spot.
KEY FACTS
With less than a month to go until Election Day, West dropped a new nearly one-minute-and-30-second advertisement that heavily featured the themes of prayer and religion.
“We as a people will revive our nation’s commitment to faith, to what our constitution calls the free exercise of religion, including, of course, prayer,” West says in the ad. “Through prayer, faith can be restored.”
West, a devout Christian, has been open about his beliefs throughout his relatively short run for president—he even reportedly asked political to refrain from extramarital sex while working on his campaign.
“By turning to faith, we will be the kind of nation, the kind of people, God intends us to be,” West said in the ad.
At the end of the ad, the written message to “write in Kanye West” appears to be a concession to the fact that it is mathematically impossible for him to win the election because of his campaign’s late start in July, which has allowed him to qualify for the ballot in just a handful of states.
During an August interview with Forbes, when the fact was raised that it was virtually impossible for him to win, West replied, “I’m not going to argue with you. Jesus is King.”
CRUCIAL QUOTE
“We as a people are called to a greater purpose than ourselves. We are not only a beacon to the world, but we should be servants to each other,” West said in the ad. “To encourage each other, to help each other, to lift up each other. Our fellow Americans, that we may all prosper together. We have to act on faith.”
KEY BACKGROUND
Forbes estimates West is worth $1.3 billion, thanks largely to his profitable Yeezy brand deal with sportswear giant Adidas and his separate Yeezy clothing line.
-By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff