Kanye tweets puzzling presidential promo

Kanye West's Twitter promo included images of actress Kirsten Dunst (top) and Vogue editor Anna Wintour (far left), which he purportedly used without permission.
Kanye West's Twitter promo included images of actress Kirsten Dunst (top) and Vogue editor Anna Wintour (left), which he purportedly used without permission. PHOTO: KANYEWEST/ TWITTER

As the United States presidential election draws near, candidates are upping their campaigns and it is no exception for rapper and record producer Kanye West.

The 43-year-old unveiled a promo for his 2020 presidential campaign on Twitter on Wednesday (Singapore time), featuring the phrase "Kanye 2020 vision".

The promo highlights a checked collage which features activists and celebrities including Vogue editor Anna Wintour and actress Kirsten Dunst.

The image of Dunst was lifted from a 2002 Vanity Fair profile, while the picture of Wintour, one of her at the Donna Karan Spring 2012 fashion show, can be found through a quick Google search of "Anna Wintour laughing".

However, the images have been the source of much confusion and perplexion, among both netizens and the featured individuals alike.

A source close to Wintour confirmed to People Magazine that she has not agreed to the use of the image. A representative for Dunst confirmed that the actress had not agreed either.

"What's the message here and why am I a part of it?", wrote the 38-year-old star of movies such as Marie Antoinette (2006), accompanied by a baffled emoji.

West's campaign for the presidency, launched on July 4, has been the source of much incomprehension - his political team rarely, if ever, responds to media requests for information.

Since the launch of his campaign, West has appeared, as an independent candidate, on a handful of state election ballots, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Illinois and Missouri, Forbes magazine reported.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 21, 2020, with the headline Kanye tweets puzzling presidential promo. Subscribe