By Juno Kelly.

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Over four years ago, Kanye West sparked rumours that he was a presidential hopeful via a series of hysterical rants and lyrical hints, which led fans to believe the rapper may eventually run for office, "2020 I'mma run the whole election." (Facts, Life of Pablo, 2016).

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What was originally received as a harmless marketing act began to actuate concern when the prospect of a celebrity as president became less absurd, as Donald Trump was sworn into office. Said uneasiness was further exasperated when West began to zealously affiliate himself with the Trump administration in 2018.

In May last year, Kim Kardashian met with president Trump to discuss the case of Alice Marie Johnson, a woman who she believed was unfairly arrested and imprisoned for life following a first time, non-violent cocaine trafficking charge.

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Kim's plight was successful, Johnson was soon granted clemency, and a variety of interviews gave Kardashian a platform to voice her opinions on criminal justice reform. Months later, in November, Kim spoke at the Criminal Justice Reform Summit, justifying her unpopular decision to liaise with Trump on the matter, "from meeting all of the people that I've met behind bars, I guarantee you, they don't care who signs that clemency paper."

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Upon recognising her sway, Kim also helped lobby for the First Step Act, which plans to reduce federally mandated minimum prison sentences, and helped to get Cyntoia Brown, a woman imprisoned for killing a man out of self-defence, granted clemency.

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In a response to mass confusion about the reality star's sudden foray into the political arena, Kim explained that her value change came as a result of the incident in Paris that saw her held at gunpoint by robbers in a hotel room, "when your life is at stake over material items, all of that stuff goes out the door."

In October 2018, Kanye West visited the Oval Office wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, where a multitude of cameras captured the rapper praising Trump as a father figure. By December, both of the West's were making front-page political news.

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However, whilst Kim's approach to criminal justice reform remained formal and steady, Kanye's political ideology became a sporadic, public mess, "(Kanye) doesn't know about the politics, so I've educated him recently," Kardashian explained at the summit, a month after Kanye's visit with Trump. Around the same the time, Kanye took to Twitter to explain that he was taking a break from politics, claiming that he had been manipulated to spread views he did not believe in, "I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative!!!"

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Throughout the course of December the Kardashian-Wests were quiet on the political front. On the first of January, however, Kanye took to Twitter to write "Trump all day. They will not program me. Blacks are 90% Democrats, that sounds like control to me." This, coupled with the fact that last week Khloe Kardashian wore a cap reading 'Kanye for President', has followers re-convinced that Kanye's presidential aspirations remain firmly intact. Perhaps Kanye's support of Trump comes down to a desire to gain his presidential endorsement?

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Last week, Kim Kardashian made front page news when she visited the California Capitol in an official capacity, again to discuss criminal justice reform, this time with regards to the Free the Vote Act, a state constitutional amendment that would allow about 48,000 California parolees to vote.

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It is now clear that both of the Wests are intent on putting their stamp on politics, however conflicting their approaches may be. Begging the question, are Kim's political intents related to Kanye's desire to be president? All First Lady's choose a cause to focus on throughout their tenure; Michelle Obama's was education, Hillary Clinton's was children and health care, and Jackie O's was the Arts, maybe, theoretically speaking, Kim's would be criminal justice reform?

Or perhaps Kim's zeal for reform lies at a complete remove from her husband's political yearnings - only time will tell.

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