Kanye West has held the first rally of his 2020 presidential campaign, speaking about various topics from gun control to his chances of winning the election.
The event, which was held in Charleston, South Carolina, was an eccentric affair that saw the rapper at one point breaking down in tears while discussing abortion, reported Billboard.
According to CNA, it was live-streamed on YouTube and various local televisions stations while attendees were required to wear masks and sign a Covid-19 liability release.
West appeared on stage sporting a "2020" hairstyle shaved from temple to temple and what seemed to be a bullet-proof jacket marked with the word "security".
During the rally, the rapper spoke loudly over the crowd without a microphone. Staff were instructed to close the doors to buffer outside noise and the crowd was repeatedly told to be silent.
At times random members of the audience were also asked to speak, as West seemed to be making up policy proposals on the fly, reported CNA.
West on gun control, respected activists, and LGBT rights
On the topic of gun control, West said: "shooting guns are fun", also describing how he could "shoot AR-15s all day without going to jail" while on his 4,000-acre ranch in Wyoming.
"The thing is if you guys put down all your weapons ... When other countries come in and you have no weapons, what do you think is going to happen? You will be enslaved."
"Guns don't kill people. People kill people," he was quoted by Billboard as saying.
He also shocked attendees by assailing historical figure Harriet Tubman, described by Politico as one of the most respected figures of 19th century America.
Tubman was an African American who escaped slavery before helping enslaved black men and women to travel north in the Underground Railroad.
She became an activist for women's suffrage in her later years.
However, West did not seem impressed by Tubman telling attendees that she "never actually freed the slaves".
"She just had them work for other white people," he continued to shouts of opposition from the audience.
West was also heckled when attempting to answer a question on homosexuality. Billboard reported that the rapper eventually had one crowd member thrown out of the room for disrupting the rally.
"Jesus loves everyone. He does not discriminate against anyone," he finally said.
"I almost killed my daughter"
Perhaps the most emotional moment of West's speech came when he broached the topic of abortion.
"My mum saved my life. My dad wanted to abort me. My mum saved my life. There would've been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy," he said before breaking down in tears.
"I almost killed my daughter," he then shouted.
The rapper went on the describe how he and his girlfriend (now wife) Kim Kardashian had discussed aborting their child.
"She had the pills in her hand," West was quoted by Billboard as saying.
The turning point came when the rapper allegedly received a visitation from God.
"If you f*** with my vision, I'm gonna f*** with yours," he purportedly said to West.
Financial assistance for single mothers
Religion was a common theme throughout West's rally and often served as his justification for taking traditionally conservative positions on various issues.
"In the Bible, it says, 'Thou shall not kill.'," he said while elaborating on his position regarding abortion.
After telling a young woman from the audience who had been through an abortion that he understood her situation, West followed it up by declaring "Jesus loves all people... and God wants us to create."
While he did not propose outlawing the practice, West said that financial incentives to help struggling mothers could discourage abortion, reported Politico.
According to Billboard, one proposal West laid out was to give single mothers US$50,000 (S$69,557) per year to help take care of a child.
He later upped the financial assistance proposal, saying: "everybody that has a baby gets a million dollars or something".
Late registration
Despite his rally, West's presidential campaign continues to hang in the balance after he missed deadlines in various states to qualify for their ballot.
According to Politico, West has so far only qualified to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot.
He will need to collect 10,000 signatures by noon of Jul. 20 if he is to appear on the South Carolina ballot.
The rapper had previously told Forbes that his party would be called "the Birthday Party" and that he would model his administration on the fictional nation of Wakanda.
West's rally in Charleston can be viewed here:
Related stories:
Top image screenshot from WCBD NEWS 2 Youtube Channel