Independent presidential candidate Cornel West has exposed a desperate attempt by the Democrat Party to bribe him into dropping out of the 2024 race. The scholar and activist revealed during an interview that Democrat leaders reached out to him with offers of positions and resources if he would back down, particularly in support of Kamala Harris’s campaign.

West, who has been a vocal critic of the Democrat Party, did not back down when describing the Democrats’ efforts. “A number of them reached out just saying I need to get on the bandwagon,” West said. He added that they framed it as a “historic moment” for a Black woman to lead the nation, but West was not swayed by their appeals. “You can offer resources or position or what have you—that’s not what I’m all about.”

The Democrats’ offer, according to West, wasn’t merely symbolic. While he didn’t disclose all the specifics, he hinted at substantial incentives. But West rejected the offer outright, saying, “That’s not the game I play… I’ve got to hold on to some integrity and honesty.” He also criticized the Democrat Party for being “saturated with money, manipulation, and transaction.” According to West, the party’s focus on superficial glitz and status has left them out of touch with the real struggles facing ordinary Americans, particularly marginalized communities.

“The Democratic Party is revealing itself even in this moment of frenzy as just so hypocritical,” West said while lambasting the party for its failure to address pressing issues such as poverty, mass incarceration, and police brutality. “We haven’t even got to Haiti and Sudan and Congo yet,” West said.

West’s comments come at a time when the Democrat Party is increasingly being scrutinized for its handling of the upcoming election. West, who has been fighting legal battles to stay on ballots across the country, is not alone in facing opposition from the Democratic establishment. “Their big theme is democracy, yet they, Jill Stein, even RFK—all they are doing is trying to stop people from having more choices,” he explained. Just this weekend, The Michigan Court of Claims ruled in favor of West in his fight to appear on the state’s ballot.

The decision, announced Sunday, cleared the way for him to appear on Michigan’s 2024 general election ballot, dealing a major setback to the Michigan Democrat Party’s efforts to block his candidacy. The lawsuit, spearheaded by the Michigan Democrats and the party’s chair Lavora Barnes, sought to prevent West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, from being listed on the ballot. Democrats argued that West had failed to meet the legal requirements for ballot access, including deficiencies in his affidavit of identity (AOI). However, the court decisively ruled that West and Abdullah were not required to file AOIs, invalidating the Democrat Party’s challenge.

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Despite the pushback, West remains resolute in his decision to continue his campaign. He views it as a mission to “tell certain truths.” He continued, “You don’t fight fascism with more lies and crimes,” West argued, taking aim at those who believe that defeating Trump should be the left’s sole focus. “Sooner or later, the fascism will take over if you don’t get at the roots of it.”