Akon Still Planning 2020 Presidential Run With Mark Zuckerberg As VP
Singer-songwriter and social entrepreneur, Akon, has affirmed that he still very much has aspirations to take on Donald Trump in a 2020 Presidential run.
In an exclusive that was published by Newsweek ahead of the weekend, Akon reiterated the ambitions he first vocalized earlier this year, when he told TMZ that he’d love to contest the Commander-In-Chief. During that March interview, the St. Louis-born Senegalese entertainer declared that win or lose, he’d be all for a run just so that he could capitalize on a chance to debate Trump. However, this time around, his intentions seem to be driven by more dire motivations.
Akon is reported as having echoed the sentiments of millions who currently do not feel situated under a stable administration, in spite of recent economic successes. “I feel a lot more unsafe. I feel unempowered. Honestly, I feel it’s gonna be a fight. I feel like I should be always prepared for the unexpected. I feel very uncomfortable,” reporter Kashmira Gander quotes the 45-year-old as stating.
Fans may recall Akon favoring Mark Zuckerberg as an ideal Vice President, and proposing that he’d tap the Facebook CEO as his running mate in the aforementioned chat with TMZ. In the more recent feature, he was careful to avoid making a statement that may rub off as pretentious and half-baked, posing instead that he truly wants potential voters to take the work he’s been putting into his business and social endeavors into consideration.
“I’ve been thinking about running for 2020 very seriously. But I didn’t want to just do it. Because, I feel like I want to continue doing what I’m doing and hope that builds me enough momentum [for people] to say, ‘You know what, if you run we’ll support you,” Akon said.
Go for it #Akon https://t.co/aq1aeRIcie
— AfropolitanInsights (@iamafropolitan) October 28, 2018
Much like Donald Trump, himself, Akon may not have experience as a politician, but his business acumen is unquestionable and he’s been responsible for some exceptional social initiatives.
His most recognizable efforts have seen him launch his own cryptocurrency (Akoin) to go along with an Akoin Crypto City that has reportedly received contributions from Senegal’s government to the tune of a 2,000-acres of land. His Akon Lighting Africa project has also been renowned for how it has delivered electricity to communities spread about 15 African nations.
As was previously reported by Variety, Akon had gone so far as to offer the company’s services to the U.S. government during its search for a contractor to restore power to Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria last year. Unfortunately, the Trump administration declined.
If all of the pieces fall into place for him over the next year and a half, he may just find himself better positioned to call his own shots on such matters.
