WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 (UPI) -- The White House typically doesn't comment on others' presidential campaigns -- but in the case of controversial rapper Kanye West, it made an exception.
At the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday, West surprised many by announcing he'll run for president in 2020. Regardless of whether his intention is real or not, the remarks have sparked a bit of conversation about the idea of the controversial rapper sitting in the Oval Office.
A day after West made the statement, White House spokesman Josh Earnest touched on it briefly.
"Let me just say I look forward to seeing what slogan he chooses to embroider on his campaign hat," the press secretary said, possibly a dig at GOP contender Donald Trump's trademark "Make America Great Again" cap.
Should he actually make a run, West might possibly create even more stir than Trump is this year.
"It's not about me. It's about ideas. New ideas. People with ideas. People who believe in truth," West said at the awards show Sunday. "And yes, as you probably could've guessed by this moment, I have decided in 2020 to run for president."
The rapper is no stranger to controversy -- having said numerous statements over the years that didn't sit well with some observers.
In 2005, he famously said former president George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people" -- referring to what he believed was the government's slow and inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina. President Bush later said West's statement was one of the "most disgusting moments" of his presidency. West himself even later admitted that he regrets making that statement.
Two years ago, West claimed that it is difficult for President Barack Obama to get things done in Washington because "black people don't have the same level of connections as Jewish people."
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