Kanye West drops presidential bid: report
Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for July 15
Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment.
Kanye West has dropped his 2020 presidential bid, according to a new report.
The 43-year-old rapper's campaign has reportedly been suspended less than two weeks after he shocked the nation with a tweet that confirmed his decision to run for president of the United States in November.
According to a new report from Intelligencer, a "get-out-the-vote specialist" named Steve Kramer claims West is already "out" after the Yeezy founder hired both "paid and volunteer" staff to help him secure signatures in Florida and South Carolina to get him on the ballot.
NINA TURNER BLASTS DEBRA MESSING FOR SAYING KANYE WEST 2020 BID WOULD 'TAKE BLACK VOTERS FROM BIDEN'
Kanye West announced his decision to run for president on July 4 in a tweet. (AP )
Kramer claimed West's team was "working over weekend there, formalizing the FEC and other things that they’ve got to do when you have a lot of corporate lawyers involved.”
The specialist claimed there was "overwhelming support" to get West on the ballot.
A separate source, who remained anonymous, claimed to the outlet that they were hired for $5,000 to help West gather signatures in Florida to meet the state's July 15 ballot deadline. The outlet claimed he needed "132,781 valid signatures from Florida voters in less than a week."
Intelligencer writer Ben Jacobs wrote on Tuesday that he reached out to West's publicist for confirmation on his recent efforts, when the musician's team suddenly "went dark."
KANYE WEST'S WIFE KIM KARDASHIAN 'HAS BEEN SUPPORTIVE' OF HUSBAND'S PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRATIONS: REPORT
"As I waited for a response, I followed up with Kramer who told me, 'He's out,'" Jacobs claimed.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West attend the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 9, 2020 in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Getty)
Kramer told the outlet that staff were "disappointed" that West has allegedly suspended his efforts. He also claimed to have "nothing good or bad to say about Kanye."
"Everyone has their personal decision about why they make decisions. Running for president has to be one of the hardest things for someone to actually contemplate at that level,” Kramer added.
West initially shared his dreams of being the third candidate to run against President Donald Trump and Joe Biden in a tweet on the Fourth of July.
MARK CUBAN, ELON MUSK TWEET SUPPORT FOR KANYE WEST AFTER 'RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT' ANNOUNCEMENT
"We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States ! #2020VISION," he said.
Days later, West conducted a lengthy interview with Forbes in which he declared he no longer supported Trump and said that Biden was not "special."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
West's presidential dreams also sparked some debate after the rapper took to Twitter to share his pro-life stance, leading to a clash with Planned Parenthood. But West did continue to squash the doubt surrounding his decision, as he posted a video documenting him registering to vote in Wyoming to his Twitter account, which boasts nearly 30 million followers.
Reps for West did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.