Kanye West says Miami Mayor Francis Suarez would ‘make a really good president’
If Miami Mayor Francis Suarez decides to run for president, he’s got Yeezy’s vote.
During an interview with ABC News that will air Thursday night, rapper and fashion mogul Kanye West was asked if he wants to run for president again — he won about 60,000 votes out of about 160 million ballots cast in the 2020 election.
His response: “You know, I met Mayor Suarez down in Miami, and I thought he’d make a really good president ... also.”
“In addition to you?” asked interviewer Linsey Davis.
“Well, I mean .... “ West responded, smiling.
ABC News tweeted a clip of the exchange Thursday afternoon to promote the interview, which will air at 7 p.m. on ABC News Live.
Suarez’s political advisers have floated the possibility of a 2024 presidential run. A political group run by Suarez’s consultants has bought digital ads in 2024 primary states. West’s comments come weeks after an endorsement from former Polish president and Nobel Laureate Lech Walesa, who met with Cuban exiles in Miami.
The mayor, a 44-year-old attorney and principal at a private equity firm, has never dismissed the possibility of a White House bid. Though his name has at times received some attention as a potential rising figure in Republican politics, his name is rarely mentioned in conversations about early 2024 front-runners.
In a statement to the Miami Herald on Thursday, Suarez said he’s committed to addressing the city of Miami’s issues, but acknowledged the encouragement he’s received to run for higher office.
“In recent months many people from all over the country have encouraged me to seek new opportunities to lead,” he said. “Americans of all backgrounds and political persuasions understand and appreciate the significance of what we have achieved in Miami, and its clear there’s a thirst for a new and different kind of leadership in our country.”
This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 6:18 PM.
