Ice Cube got people on social media – including his fans – wondering why he decided to work with Donald Trump’s campaign team after the Republican presidential candidate’s campaign adviser, Katrina Pierson, revealed the veteran rapper and actor was helping them develop their Platinum Plan.
Sharing the news on her Twitter account on Tuesday, Pierson gave the former NWA member a “shout out” for his “willingness to step up and work” with the Trump administration to “help develop” the plan, adding that “leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate.” She then went ahead to thank the 51-year-old for “leading.”
The US president unveiled the Black Economic Empowerment “Platinum Plan” during a campaign event in Atlanta on September 25. The Plan includes prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan and Antifa as terrorist organizations, making lynching a national hate crime, and establishing Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of U.S. slavery, as a federal holiday. The Plan will also invest $500 billion in Black communities, create jobs, increase access to capital in Black communities, lower the cost of healthcare, support Black-owned businesses, among others.
Following backlash on social media on his openness to work with the campaign team, Ice Cube attempted to justify his decision, citing his Contract With Black America (CWBA) initiative and the Trump administration’s willingness to modify their plan.
In 2016, the entertainer claimed he would never endorse Trump prior to that year’s presidential election. He also released a song, “Arrest the President”, in 2018, and admitted he couldn’t wait to see Trump in handcuffs after he leaves office during an interview on The Breakfast Club in March.
“Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election,” he tweeted. “Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.”
Facts: I put out the CWBA. Both parties contacted me. Dems said we’ll address the CWBA after the election. Trump campaign made some adjustments to their plan after talking to us about the CWBA.
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
The CWBA was set up by the Straight Outta Compton rapper in August with the aim of “striking at the heart of racism and [presenting] a blueprint to achieve racial economic justice,” according to Independent.
Per the project’s website, the CWBA will “provide conceptual approaches in several areas” including representation, lending, judicial and prison reform, police reform act, among others.
Responding to a disappointed fan who said he chose to work with the “darkside”, Ice Cube said: “Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”
Every side is the Darkside for us here in America. They’re all the same until something changes for us. They all lie and they all cheat but we can’t afford not to negotiate with whoever is in power or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan. https://t.co/xFIXXpOs8B
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 14, 2020
In an email to Deadline, Ice Cube’s business partner, Jeff Kwatinetz said the Friday actor “has not endorsed Trump. He wants the country to address 450 years of Black oppression and will talk to anyone who is in a position to help.”
Take a look at some more reactions below:
what “adjustments” specifically? and what’s your endgame? https://t.co/72NM5HHrih
— Don Cheadle (@DonCheadle) October 14, 2020
(going to hold out hope that this is another lie from the 45 campaign and that Ice Cube comes out with a f-bomb laden refute any minute now)
— David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) October 14, 2020
This is just like Isaiah Washington and that “Obama never invited me to the White House” bullshit, but be a pawn for a white supremacist/fascist if you want to.
— king crissle (@crissles) October 14, 2020
Let’s go with the assumption that any serious political candidate must address the needs of Black people- the arrogance to think this has to be you when there are folks who’ve been researching, organizing, advocating and doing this work for decades in community is wild https://t.co/jK81NZUqfi
— defund as a means to abolish (@awkward_duck) October 15, 2020
Did Cube get Trump to at least admit that systemic racism is real? If no, then what are we even talking about?
— Touré (@Toure) October 15, 2020
How it started. How it’s going.
— ? Black Professor ? (@WonderKing82) October 14, 2020
Ice Cube, even capitalized EVER! pic.twitter.com/fTaxkSrv4p
Good lord… how much are they paying Ice Cube??? How… does the guy from NWA become MAGA?
— roxane gay (@rgay) October 14, 2020
Someone said Ice Cube is about to drop a track called “hug the police.”
— Kovie Biakolo (@koviebiakolo) October 14, 2020
I. am. done. pic.twitter.com/yousmp5z1d
