Some are giving some serious thought to the idea, while others are making the statements in jest, but only one has really moved forward with this political aspiration.
- Jul 12, 2020
AceShowbiz - Being a president is not an easy task. While it comes with its own privilege and pride, the job demands full commitment, which sometimes means sacrificing not only one's personal time, but also the desire to reap benefits for one's own pleasure. Thus, only those with strong political aspirations will eventually pursue this path and manage to handle the pressure that comes with it.
But despite the seemingly daunting future of POTUS, surprisingly not a few of celebrities have been toying with the idea of running for the White House. As the 2020 U.S. election is coming closer, Kanye West made headlines by throwing his name among the widely-known potential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
But the rapper isn't the first famous person with non-political background who has been considering to change lane and become a president. As odd as their chances in winning the election are, here are celebrities who have set the Internet buzzing with the talks about their potential presidential campaign, both in the past and recently.
1. Kanye West
Before moving on with other celebrities who have considered running for president, let's start the list with Kanye West who resparked interest in the talk with his own announcement. Having previously raised eyebrow with his support for Donald Trump, the Yeezy designer confused many as he tweeted on Saturday, July 4, "I am running for president of the United States!" In a subsequent interview with Forbes, he claimed that he would be running under a new banner, the Birthday Party, with Elon Musk as one of his advisers.
West's announcement divided people, including fellow celebrities who have weighed in on whether or he is illegible for the position. Though Musk later seemed to reconsider his stance in the "Follow God" spitter's plan, 2 Chainz, Rose McGowan and Ty Dolla $ign have declared their support for the husband of Kim Kardashian, with Trump himself not opposing West's presidential bid and thinking it would be "very interesting." Still, it remains to be seen how far West will take his political aspiration, as many are not convinced with his plan and reports claimed that it's nothing more than his episode of bipolar disorder.
2. Alec Baldwin
As an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, it's not surprising that Alec Baldwin wants to challenge the 45th president of the United States at an upcoming election. In April 2019, he came up with what sounded like a pretty lofty campaign promise as he asked on Twitter, "If I ran for President, would you vote for me?" He went on declaring, "I won't ask you for any $. And I promise I will win. Beating Trump would be so easy."
Asked by Howard Stern if he's serious with his tweets, the "Saturday Night Live" impersonator of the president doubled down on his claim as stating, "If I ran for president, I would win. Hands down." While the "30 Rock" alum has not officially entered the race, his bragging comments showed strong progress from his previous lack of confidence when he said of the possibility of him becoming a president two years before, "The older I get, the less preposterous the idea seems."
3. Marc Zuckerberg
Marc Zuckerberg might have too many brilliant ideas to be confined only to his tech business. In 2017, there was strong speculation that the Facebook co-founder and CEO could be running for office in 2020. He and his wife Priscilla Chan reportedly hired Democratic pollster Joel Benenson, former campaign manager for Barack Obama, David Plouffe, as well Ken Mehlman, who directed President George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, for their philanthropic project.
But that's not all. The computer genius reportedly went on a yearlong "listening tour," where he was supposedly traveling to all 50 states and meeting with leaders and constituents in each. Despite the so-called strong evidence, Mark later denied that he would pursue a political career, posting on Facebook in May 2017, "Some of you have asked if this challenge means I'm running for public office. I'm not."
4. Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman is another person who was out of nowhere showing an interest in becoming a president. In November 2016, the "Hellboy" actor posted on his social media account, "I am hereby using my immense Twitter presence to announce my candidacy for President of United States, 2020." Taking it to the next level, the "Sons of Anarchy" alum followed-up the tweet with some fake campaign posters that read, "Vote for Perl or Go to Hell."
It later turned out that he was joking with the presidential bid announcement, but his purpose was sincere in bringing attention to the assault on democracy coming out of Washington. "We're in a very dangerous, very degraded moment in time where the values that everybody who came before us fought and died for are all being tromped upon. For no good end except power and greed," he told IndieWire. Stressing how serious the situation is, he added, "If we don't get our s**t together quickly, we're in danger of ending our days. I feel it's that serious."
5. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is widely loved for her good influence and positive mind that she spread through her popular daytime talk show. Now that the show is over and America is in despair for a president other than Trump, they think that it's the best time for the media mogul to share her best advice for the whole nation. In early 2018, her popularity as a potential candidate suddenly soared following her powerful speech at the Golden Globes.
The 66-year-old admitted in an interview with PEOPLE in February that she seriously thought about it after a number of "wealthy, billionaires" called her up, telling her they were ready to back her campaign. Oprah eventually turned to God to show her the answer and she prayed, " 'God, if you think I'm supposed to run, you gotta tell me, and it has to be so clear that not even I can miss it.' " It's suffice to say that for the time being she would only focus on her media empire, as the TV producer revealed, "I haven't gotten that [calling to be a president]" after she went into prayer.
6. Brock Pierce
One of Brock Pierce's big-screen roles may have prepared him for this. Just a day after Kanye West set internet abuzz with his presidential bid announcement, the former child actor-turned-cryptocurrency entrepreneur announced that he would be running in the 2020 presidential race as an independent candidate. Unlike Kanye who hasn't followed-up his tweet with an actual move, "The Mighty Ducks" star, who once played the son of a sitting president in "First Kid", filed with the FEC on July 7.
"I've spent my life creating great things from nothing and I can help others do the same," he said in a statement of his political aspiration and his goal if he's elected. "Entrepreneurs are essential to the rebuilding of this nation that we love, and I'm running in this race because I know that together we can help build a pathway towards the rebirth of the America we love so much."
7. Chris Rock
Chris Rock is no stranger to politics, having earned an Emmy nomination through his role as a political commentator for Comedy Central's "Politically Incorrect" during the 1996 Presidential election and ranted against then-president George W. Bush in 2008. Still, it was unexpected that he wanted to become a president himself.
In November 2016, the Democrat and supporter of former President Barack Obama suddenly tweeted, "I'm gonna run in 2020 wish me luck," along with a photoshopped version of "Head of State" poster. In the movie, he played the first African-American president. Interestingly, he made the announcement just after Trump's victory. It seemed that his tweet was a sarcastic response to the results of the election or Trump's victory made it appear that it's possible for anyone to make it into the White House, but the comedian didn't join the race in 2020.
8. Katy Perry
Katy Perry has been vocal about her political stance, having publicly supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign and joined the former Democratic candidate in her rally. Still, it's unlikely that she would be able to run a country. Thus, it left people wondering what her intention was when she posted an Instagram photo of her standing between Bill Clinton and George W. Bush along with the caption, "42, 43, 46?!", suggesting that she could be the 46th POTUS.
Though the "Dark Horse" singer was likely only joking, there were still a few of her followers who would want to see Katy as a president. "I'd enjoy having my favorite singer as president," one fan wrote in the comment section of the post. Another had faith in her, replying, "You could change the world."
9. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock is another name whom people have been wanting to become a president. Known for his optimism and strong work ethic, the wrestler-turned-actor has heard his name discussed on Twitter as a likely 2020 (or even 2024) applicant and he never ruled out the possibility of it, though it may not happen in foreseeable future.
In an interview with Film Fone, he was asked if he would pursue the position. "Right now the best way I can impact the world is through entertainment. One day … I can impact the world through politics. The great news is I am American, therefore I can become President," he coyly answered. Later, when GQ asked if he would truly do it, the "Jumanji: The Next Level" star echoed his previous statement as responding, "I think it's a real possibility."
10. Will Smith
Among all the names mentions above, Will Smith perhaps had the most practical reason to run for office. The actor said that he might join the race if it meant he could prevent Trump from being elected. His rage against the incumbent president was sparked by the then-presidential hopeful's statement that all Muslims should be barred from entering the U.S. following a series of terrorist attacks in both the U.S. and Europe in 2015.
"If people keep saying all the crazy kinds of stuff they've been saying on the news lately about walls and Muslims, they're going to force me into the political arena," he said on "CBS Sunday Morning". Asked what position he would run for, the "Men in Black" actor confirmed, "I mean, I gotta be the president. Come on! What else would I run for?" He, however, never really joined the race and Trump was eventually elected in 2016.
