米歌手カニエ・ウェスト氏、初の選挙集会開催　泣きだす場面も

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】11月の米大統領選への出馬を表明した米ラップ歌手のカニエ・ウェスト氏が19日、初の選挙集会を開催した。演説中には泣きだす場面もあった。（写真はカニエ・ウェスト氏）
　サウスカロライナ州チャールストンで開かれた集会に防弾チョッキ姿で現れたウェスト氏は、長くとりとめのない演説を披露した。
　妻のキム・カーダシアンさんが長女ノースちゃんを妊娠した際にウェスト氏が中絶を望んだことや、自身の父親も同氏の中絶を望んだことを明かした。
　ウェスト氏は、「父親は妊娠中絶を望んだ。母親が私の命を救った。カニエ・ウェストは存在しなかったかもしれない。父親は忙しすぎたから」と言って泣きだし、「私は娘を殺しかけた！ 娘を殺しかけた！」と叫んだ。
　また演説では、元奴隷で奴隷解放運動家のハリエット・タブマン氏に言及し、「彼女は実際には奴隷を解放したことはなかった。奴隷を別の白人の所へ働きに行かせただけだ」と語った。
　演説の様子を捉えた動画がソーシャルメディアで拡散し、混乱や怒り、ウェスト氏の精神状態を懸念する声が寄せられている。
　米メディアが報じたところによると、集会は登録制で、新型コロナウイルスへの感染については免責同意書の署名が求められ、またマスクの着用とソーシャル・ディスタンシング（対人距離の確保）が義務付けられたという。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/07/21-13:30）

US rapper Kanye West broke down in tears on Sunday at the chaotic launch of his unlikely campaign to oust Donald Trump as president in November elections.
Wearing a bullet-proof jacket marked security, West gave a rambling speech in which he claimed he had wanted his wife, Kim Kardashian, to get an abortion and that renowned American abolitionist Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves.
West told the event in Charleston, South Carolina, how he had wanted his wife to get an abortion when she was pregnant with North, their oldest daughter. He then revealed his father also had wanted to abort him.
My dad wanted to abort me. My mom saved my life. There would've been no Kanye West because my dad was too busy, West said, bursting into tears.
He later shouted, I almost killed my daughter! I almost killed my daughter!
At another point during his speech, he said, Harriet Tubman never actually freed the slaves, she just had the slaves go work for other white people.
West's speech, clips of which went viral on social media, provoked confusion, anger and concern for the musician's mental health.
The event was for registered guests only, and all attendees were required to sign a COVID-19 liability release form as well as wear masks and practice social distancing, US media reported.
Less than four months ahead of November's election, West, 43, raised eyebrows on July 4 when he announced on Twitter he would challenge Trump.
He has offered virtually no details about his campaign, but the hip-hop star -- who famously wore a Make America Great Again cap to a 2018 Oval Office meeting with Trump -- said he no longer supports the president.
Reports began circulating in US media last week that West had dropped out of the race.
He missed the deadline in several states to be listed on the presidential ballot, but he is listed on the ballot in Oklahoma.