WASHINGTON • American rapper Kanye West, a vocal supporter of United States President Donald Trump, announced on Saturday that he will run for president in November in an apparent challenge to Mr Trump and his presumptive Democratic rival Joe Biden.

"We must now realise the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States," West wrote in a Twitter post, adding a US flag emoji and the hashtag #2020VISION.

It was not immediately clear if West was serious about vying for the presidency four months before the Nov 3 election or if he had filed any official paperwork to appear on state election ballots.

The deadline to add independent candidates to the ballot has not yet passed in many states.

West and his equally famous wife Kim Kardashian West have visited Mr Trump in the White House. At one October 2018 meeting, West delivered a rambling, profanity-laden speech in which he discussed alternative universes and his diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which he said was actually sleep deprivation.

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, another celebrity known for eccentric outbursts, endorsed West's post. "You have my full support!" he wrote.

REUTERS