*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).
Lisa McKnight, global head of Barbie and dolls, spoke to Cheddar about how Mattel's success during COVID-19 rested on its classic toy brands like Barbie, Fisher-Price, and Hot Wheels.
Russell Westbrook led a $63 million fundraising round for Varo Bank and is looking to help underserved communities with financial literacy, according to Donnell Beverly, president of Russell Westbrook Enterprises, and Varo COO Wesley Wright.
Cheddar's Michelle Castillo talks to frontline workers in keeping New York City's sprawling subway system running and safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken the lives of at least 136 MTA colleagues.
The latest on Tiger Woods' condition following a serious car accident, a global vaccination drive begins, why college enrollment is down, and more.
Authorities say there's no immediate evidence that Tiger Woods was impaired in a car crash that seriously injured both of the golfer's legs.
The coronavirus pandemic offered people the opportunity to connect with pets, and the number of adoptions and fosters surged throughout the pandemic. Cheddar's Chloe Aiello reports.
Advertising analytics company DoubleVerify found in a report that there was a 21 percent increase in "inflammatory news and political content" on websites following January 6.
The chief of the Cherokee Nation says it's time for automaker Jeep to stop using the tribe's name on its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee models.
Jill and Carlo are talking vaccine reinforcements, Israel's progress (and that SNL joke), plus Spotify taps Bruce Springsteen and Barack Obama and Daft Punk calls it quits.
The COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. has topped 500,000, all but matching the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined.
