Kanye West broke down in tears while delivering a lengthy monologue on topics including abortion and international trade at his first presidential campaign rally.
The rapper held a surprise event in South Carolina to officially launch his bid for the White House on Sunday.
During his speech, he made a series of controversial comments, speaking at length about abortion and claiming he and then-girlfriend Kim Kardashian considered terminating their first baby, before claiming all new mothers should be given $1 million after giving birth.
Standing on stage in a bulletproof vest, West, 43, spoke without a microphone as he detailed an incident that allegedly took place shortly after Kim called him “screaming and crying” to reveal she was pregnant with their first child.
He told the crowd: “She was crying… and for one month and two months and three months, we talked about her not having this child. She had the pills in her hand.
“I was having the rapper’s lifestyle. I was sitting up in Paris, and I had my leather pants on and I had my laptop up and I got all of my creative ideas.
“ And the screen went black and white and God said, ‘if you f**k with my vision I’m going to f**k with yours’.
“And I called my wife and she said, ‘We’re gonna have this baby’. I said, ‘We’re gonna have this child’. So even if my wife were to divorce me after this speech, she brought North into the world when I didn’t want to. She stood up and she protected that child.”
Kanye West – In pictures
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Kanye West appears on stage during MTV’s Total Request Live in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the 32nd Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West accepts the award for Male New Artist of the Year during the 2004 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye West and mascot Dropout Bear at the Kanye West and Creative Artist Agency Foundation launch of the Kanye West Foundation in Beverly Hills, CA, USA
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Kanye West performs Jesus Walks on stage during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West poses backstage with his awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best R&B Song during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Jay-Z and Kanye West perform at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2005 Concert in East Rutherford, NJ, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage at Live 8 Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Kanye West performs Gold Digger on stage during the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, FL, USA
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Kanye West signs autographs during an appearance as the surprise teacher at Chicago State University for MTVu Stand In in Chicago, IL, USA
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Kanye West poses with his Best Rap Song, Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album awards in the press room at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West poses in the Awards Room with the award for International Male Solo Artist at The Brit Awards 2006 in London, England
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Kanye joins Pharrell onstage at CBS’s The Early Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West sits with Alexis Phifer for the Jeremy Scott Spring 2007 Fashion show during Olympus Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West accepts the award for Best Hip Hop acton stage at the 13th annual MTV Europe Music Awards in Copenhagen, Denmark
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Kanye West takes a picture of himself at the Fendi party celebrating their new line of bags B.MIX in Tokyo, Japan
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Kanye West and his mom, Donda, attend signing of Donda’s book Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 perform onstage during MTV’s 45 At Night at the MTV Times Square Studios in New York, NY, USA
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anye West performs on stage at the Concert for Diana in London, England
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Kanye joins 50 Cent, P. Diddy, and Jay Z onstage to perform during Screamfest ’07 in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye and 50 Cent present the Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration award on stage during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye presents an award during the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West performs onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kayne West attends the Los Angeles Lakers playoff game with the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West accepts the Best Male Hip-Hop Artist award onstage during the 2008 BET Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye and Stephen Colbert pose for a photo at the Comedy Central Emmy Awards party in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West and Estelle perform together onstage during the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards
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Kanye West accepts the award for Hip-Hop Album during the 2008 American Music Awards
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Amber Rose and musician Kanye West attend The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye jumps onstage after Taylor Swift wins Best Female Video to give his iconic Imma let you finish speech in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West on the New York Daily News Big Apple float rides down Broadway in Times Square as he joins the giant balloon lineup for the 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, NY, USA
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Rihanna and Kayne West perform in the half time show at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West performs during VEVO Presents: G.O.O.D. Music in Austin, TX, USA
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Kanye West speaks on stage during the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage on day one of the Splendour in the Grass music festival in Woodford, Australia
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Kanye West walks the runway after the Dw by Kanye West Ready to Wear Spring / Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs while model Izabel Goulart walks the runway during the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West and Jay-Z perform during a concert as part of their tour Watch the Throne in Paris, France
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Kanye West and Jay-Z accept the award for Video of the Year onstage during the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye and Kim sit with Tyra Banks, Sarah Hyland, Stacy Kiebler, and Olivia Palermo for the Marchesa spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kayne West performs during the Samsung Galaxy Notes II launch in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye poses with Kim at the PUNK: Chaos to Couture Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye west leave their residence ahead of their wedding in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs on stage at Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London, England
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Kanye West attends the Celine show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs onstage during DirecTV Super Saturday Night hosted by Mark Cuban’s AXS TV and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in Glendale, AZ, USA
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Kanye joins Paul McCartney and rihanna onstage for a performance at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye sits with his family, Kim and North, as they attend the lexander Wang Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the BRIT Awards 2015 in London, England
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West pose upon arrival for the China: Through The Looking Glass Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs a song during a break in the action between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs in Chicago, IL, USA
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Kanye West performs onstage during the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye West presents the Fashion Icon Award to Pharrell Williams onstage at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs at the closing ceremony for ther 2015 Pan American Games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada
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Vanguard Award winner Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kim and Kanye pose for a photograph at the Givenchy fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West poses in front of his models during the finale of Yeezy Season 2 during New York Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye poses for a photo with Jared Leto and Terry Richardson at the Vogue 95th Anniversary Party in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive for the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye announces his partnership with Adidas in Hollywood, CA, USA
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Kim Kardashian attends Famous by Kanye West a private exhibition event at Blum And Poe in Los Angeles, Ca, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs at the Forum in Inglewood, CA, USA
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Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA
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Kanye West and Donatella Versace pose for pictures at the Versace Pre-Fall 2019 Runway Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West and Young Thug attend the the Versace fall 2019 fashion show in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the Travis Scott Astroworld Tour in Inglewood, CA, USA
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Kanye West appears on stage during MTV’s Total Request Live in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the 32nd Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West accepts the award for Male New Artist of the Year during the 2004 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye West and mascot Dropout Bear at the Kanye West and Creative Artist Agency Foundation launch of the Kanye West Foundation in Beverly Hills, CA, USA
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Kanye West performs Jesus Walks on stage during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West poses backstage with his awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best R&B Song during the 47th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Jay-Z and Kanye West perform at the Hot 97 Summer Jam 2005 Concert in East Rutherford, NJ, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage at Live 8 Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum in Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Kanye West performs Gold Digger on stage during the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, FL, USA
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Kanye West signs autographs during an appearance as the surprise teacher at Chicago State University for MTVu Stand In in Chicago, IL, USA
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Kanye West poses with his Best Rap Song, Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Album awards in the press room at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West poses in the Awards Room with the award for International Male Solo Artist at The Brit Awards 2006 in London, England
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Kanye joins Pharrell onstage at CBS’s The Early Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West sits with Alexis Phifer for the Jeremy Scott Spring 2007 Fashion show during Olympus Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West accepts the award for Best Hip Hop acton stage at the 13th annual MTV Europe Music Awards in Copenhagen, Denmark
Getty Images for MTV
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Kanye West takes a picture of himself at the Fendi party celebrating their new line of bags B.MIX in Tokyo, Japan
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Kanye West and his mom, Donda, attend signing of Donda’s book Raising Kanye: Life Lessons from the Mother of a Hip-Hop Superstar in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 perform onstage during MTV’s 45 At Night at the MTV Times Square Studios in New York, NY, USA
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anye West performs on stage at the Concert for Diana in London, England
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Kanye joins 50 Cent, P. Diddy, and Jay Z onstage to perform during Screamfest ’07 in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye and 50 Cent present the Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration award on stage during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye presents an award during the 59th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West performs onstage during the 50th annual Grammy awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kayne West attends the Los Angeles Lakers playoff game with the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West accepts the Best Male Hip-Hop Artist award onstage during the 2008 BET Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye and Stephen Colbert pose for a photo at the Comedy Central Emmy Awards party in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kanye West and Estelle perform together onstage during the 2008 MTV Europe Music Awards
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Kanye West accepts the award for Hip-Hop Album during the 2008 American Music Awards
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Amber Rose and musician Kanye West attend The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye jumps onstage after Taylor Swift wins Best Female Video to give his iconic Imma let you finish speech in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West on the New York Daily News Big Apple float rides down Broadway in Times Square as he joins the giant balloon lineup for the 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, NY, USA
AFP/Getty Images
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Rihanna and Kayne West perform in the half time show at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, CA, USA
AFP/Getty Images
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Kanye West performs during VEVO Presents: G.O.O.D. Music in Austin, TX, USA
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Kanye West speaks on stage during the 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage on day one of the Splendour in the Grass music festival in Woodford, Australia
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Kanye West walks the runway after the Dw by Kanye West Ready to Wear Spring / Summer 2012 show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs while model Izabel Goulart walks the runway during the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West and Jay-Z perform during a concert as part of their tour Watch the Throne in Paris, France
AFP/Getty Images
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Kanye West and Jay-Z accept the award for Video of the Year onstage during the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Getty Images
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Kanye and Kim sit with Tyra Banks, Sarah Hyland, Stacy Kiebler, and Olivia Palermo for the Marchesa spring 2013 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kayne West performs during the Samsung Galaxy Notes II launch in New York, NY, USA
Getty Images for Samsung
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Kanye poses with Kim at the PUNK: Chaos to Couture Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye west leave their residence ahead of their wedding in Paris, France
AFP/Getty Images
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Kanye West performs on stage at Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London, England
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Kanye West attends the Celine show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs onstage during DirecTV Super Saturday Night hosted by Mark Cuban’s AXS TV and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan in Glendale, AZ, USA
Getty Images for DirecTV
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Kanye joins Paul McCartney and rihanna onstage for a performance at the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
Getty Images for NARAS
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Kanye sits with his family, Kim and North, as they attend the lexander Wang Fashion Show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the BRIT Awards 2015 in London, England
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West pose upon arrival for the China: Through The Looking Glass Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs a song during a break in the action between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs in Chicago, IL, USA
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Kanye West performs onstage during the 2015 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kanye West presents the Fashion Icon Award to Pharrell Williams onstage at the 2015 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West performs at the closing ceremony for ther 2015 Pan American Games at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada
AFP/Getty Images
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Vanguard Award winner Kanye West speaks onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kim and Kanye pose for a photograph at the Givenchy fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West poses in front of his models during the finale of Yeezy Season 2 during New York Fashion Week in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye poses for a photo with Jared Leto and Terry Richardson at the Vogue 95th Anniversary Party in Paris, France
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Kanye West performs during Kanye West Yeezy Season 3 in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West arrive for the Manus x Machina: Fashion In An Age Of Technology Met Gala in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye announces his partnership with Adidas in Hollywood, CA, USA
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Kim Kardashian attends Famous by Kanye West a private exhibition event at Blum And Poe in Los Angeles, Ca, USA
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Kanye West performs on stage during the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, NY, USA
AFP/Getty Images
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Kanye West performs at the Forum in Inglewood, CA, USA
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Donald Trump meets with rapper Kanye West in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA
AFP/Getty Images
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Kanye West and Donatella Versace pose for pictures at the Versace Pre-Fall 2019 Runway Show in New York, NY, USA
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Kanye West and Young Thug attend the the Versace fall 2019 fashion show in New York, NY, USA
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Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attend the Travis Scott Astroworld Tour in Inglewood, CA, USA
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West also claimed his own father wanted his mother to abort him, crying as he said: “My mom saved my life. My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life.
“There would have been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy.”
He also ranted against historical civil rights figure Harriet Tubman, saying the Underground Railroad conductor “never actually freed the slaves, she just had them work for other white people”.
Those comments drew shouts of opposition from some in the crowd.
Tubman is one of the most respected figures of 19th century America. An African American who escaped slavery, she helped enslaved black men and women travel north to freedom and fought for the Union during the Civil War. She later became a supporter of women’s suffrage.
West has missed the deadline to qualify for the election ballot in several states, and it is unclear if he is willing or able to collect enough signatures required to qualify in others.
However, he did issue a tweet on Sunday using wordplay to seemingly back up his comments on running for the White House, writing only “THE WEST WING”.
Last week, he qualified to appear on Oklahoma’s presidential ballot, the first state where he met the requirements before the filing deadline.
West needs to collect 10,000 signatures by noon on Monday to appear on the South Carolina ballot, according to state law.
The entertainer tweeted a list of locations around the Charleston area where petitions could be signed.
West initially announced his candidacy on July 4.
Additional reporting by Press Association