Daily Beast: “Some Trump advisers have privately conceded that there is scant data to suggest that getting West on enough ballots would drain significant support from the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee, and that doing so amounts to taking advantage of a man suffering from mental health issues. And even the president’s own pollster is warning that the maneuver could backfire.”
“‘[It] could siphon from Trump Blacks who don’t like Biden,’ John McLaughlin, a top pollster for President Trump, told The Daily Beast on Wednesday night. ‘Blacks who don’t like Biden in a two-way race would vote for the president. Now they might consider Kanye.’ In the past few weeks, West’s so-called campaign has gained steam in its effort to actually get the rap artist on the ballot in various states, including ones that could sway the election. The effort has come as Trump’s reelection prospects appeared to have hit their nadir amid the deadly pandemic, the crushed U.S. economy, and widespread racial and civil unrest. The timing has led to speculation that West’s main objective is to play spoiler on Trump’s behalf.”