*By Max Godnick*
Kanye West was slinging optimistic platitudes last month, courting conservative thought leaders, and increasing his public profile.
Could a trip to Iowa be next?
The rapper's recent Twitter activity has caused some pundits to speculate about his political ambitions.
In April, West expressed his "love" for President Trump and wore a "Make America Great Again" hat in [a photo](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/989222392630202368). He said he "likes the way" the right-wing commentator Candace Owens thinks, and released a new song with the lyric: "I know Obama was heaven-sent, but ever since Trump won, it proved that I could be president."
West had teased a potential White House run in September 2015 at MTV's Video Music Awards, where he announced, "I have decided in 2020 to run for president."
Last week, he appeared to postpone his plan, cryptically tweeting ["2024"](https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/988984329295441921).
"I could see him trying," said Brande Victorian, the managing editor of MadameNoire, a Black women's lifestyle site. "I mean, we didn't think Trump would be here."
Republicans have embraced West's newly-public political musings. Donald Trump Jr. [tweeted a photo](https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/990930382685196288) Monday of West with Owens and the conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Victorian said Tuesday in an interview with Cheddar she was skeptical that West could convince his fans to fully get behind conservatives.
"You're asking virtually everyone who the party does not care about to all of a sudden have empathy for this group, which is nonsensical," she said.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/will-kanye-west-run-for-president).
To celebrate the start of spring, Matt Crafton, lead winemaker at Chateau Montelena in northern California, joins Cheddar News to showcase some warm-weather wines and the best meals to pair them with.
Entertainment and lifestyle expert Josh McBride joins Cheddar News' hosts Hena Doba and Baker Machado to talk about some highlights from last night's annual Meta Gala dinner.
Jared Leto showed up at the Met Gala as Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld's cat. And Kim Kardashian dressed in strands of pearls. Fashion's biggest night of the year included lots of vintage from Chanel and a reveal by Janelle Monae.
Oklahoma on Monday became the latest state to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors as Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that makes it a felony for health care workers to provide children with treatments that can include puberty-blocking drugs and hormones.
Television and movie writers declared that they will launch a strike for the first time in 15 years, as Hollywood girded for a walkout with potentially widespread ramifications in a fight over fair pay in the streaming era.
The top entertainment headlines for May 1, 2023.
Fashion designer Nicole Miller joins Cheddar News correspondent Hena Doba for a Walk & Talk that touches on the importance of not living in a bubble, how to compete with new designers on social media, and why she regrets sometimes neglecting the life side of a healthy work-life balance.
It's the first Monday in May: Welcome to Met Gala mania. With a livestream available when the evening gets underway, the world's most fashionable fundraiser takes on one of the world's most prolific — and controversial — designers, the late Karl Lagerfeld, as the starry party's theme.
While doctors fear the dangers of untrained people managing their own hormone replacement therapy, a growing number of transgender people say they see no other option for life-saving care.
The Mario Party continued as it faced little new competition at the box office.
