A 15-year-old boy called Deez Nuts is polling at 9 per cent in the US presidential race

Donald Trump (remember him?) has already made this one of the most bizarre US presidential races in recent memory, but things have gotten weirder thanks to a 15-year-old boy called Deez Nuts.

OK, he's not really called Deez Nuts, but a candidate of that name has gone viral (as the kids say) after appearing on a Public Policy Polling poll and polling at... nine per cent.

Deez Nuts is actually 15-year-old Brady Olson, a high school student from Iowa. He contacted PPP, which is known for sometimes asking frivolous questions, and asked to be included.

In Iowa he polled seven per cent, in Minnesota it was eight per cent, and then by North Carolina he was up to the lofty heights of nine per cent - in the process becoming, unofficially, the most popular independent White House candidate for decades.

The Guardian says it has spoken to Brady and his parents on the phone, and has seen his passport to verify his identity.

He told them via email:

My name is not Deez Nuts. I am a 15-year-old who filled out a form, had the campaign catch on fire, and am now putting up the best third-party numbers since Ross Perot.

I've told my family and some of my friends from school. They still think it's hilarious.

There are almost 600 registered candidates for president, from Sydneys Voluptuous Buttocks to Limberbutt McCubbins.

Sadly Deez Nuts's bid for the White House has probably now peaked - you have to be at least 35 to be president.

If only there was some other novelty candidate the media could obsess over instead.

More: The top 10 Republican candidates, in order of crazy