‘Crank That’ to Presidential candidate? Soulja Boy’s 2028 White House bid sparks Kanye comparisons, AI jokes
Rapper Soulja Boy says he is exploring a 2028 presidential run focused on economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, education and AI.
Rapper Soulja Boy has set social media buzzing after announcing that he is exploring a run for President of the United States in 2028. The “Crank That” hitmaker shared a statement outlining four policy priorities: economic opportunity, criminal justice reform, education, and the future of technology and artificial intelligence.

The announcement has led to thousands of reactions across X.
The announcement immediately drew comparisons with Kanye West (Ye), who launched presidential campaigns in 2020 and again announced plans for 2024, making Soulja Boy the latest rapper to publicly express White House ambitions.
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Soulja Boy said he is ‘exploring’ public service
Soulja Boy announced his intentions in a post on Instagram. “A new chapter. A bigger vision. A commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation.”
The rapper also wrote, “From music to business to technology, I’ve always believed in thinking bigger and challenging what’s possible.”
The rapper also wrote, “From music to business to technology, I’ve always believed in thinking bigger and challenging what’s possible.”
He stopped short of formally declaring his candidacy, instead saying he is “exploring what it means to bring that same vision to public service.”
Not the first rapper with White House ambitions
Soulja Boy’s announcement quickly reminded users of Ye, who mounted a widely publicized presidential campaign in 2020. Ye appeared on ballots in several states and received about 70,000 votes nationwide, according to official election results.
He later announced another presidential bid before scaling back those efforts.
Because of that history, many users argued that Soulja Boy was following a path already taken by another rapper rather than breaking new ground. One user on X wrote, “Finally something he’s not the first to do. Ye did it first.”
One user questioned whether the statement had been written by the rapper himself. “I know damn well that boi used AI to write that shit.”
Others were more supportive, with one post read, “When Soulja makes more sense then the current and past President you know something is wrong bro.”
At this stage, Soulja Boy has not officially filed paperwork for a presidential campaign or announced a campaign team. His statement frames the effort as an exploration of public service rather than a confirmed candidacy.
Whether the rapper follows through remains to be seen.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShirin GuptaShirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More

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