Ice Cube worked with Trump's reelection campaign, and fans aren't happy to hear it.
On Tuesday afternoon, Trump 2020 senior adviser Katrina Pierson posted a tweet thanking the hip-hop veteran "for his willingness" to work with the Trump administration on the "Platinum Plan"—a $500 billion package that will purportedly help Black communities. The plan is to create 3 million new jobs, push for criminal justice reform, improve access to better education and job opportunities, reduce health care costs, and designate Juneteenth as a national holiday.
Cube replied, "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."
After facing criticism for speaking to Trump's reelection campaign team, the rapper and actor clarified a few things with Big Boy. The two spoke about what the contract means, how both campaigns responded to it, and Cube even briefly gave his thoughts
"We talking to both sides," he told Big Boy at the 21:00 mark of the interview. "It's a situation that's developing, we got to wait and really see what they say. We're going to talk more with both sides within this next week or so, and try to get to some kind of agreement on what they can do out of this contract. Like I said, us getting out of the situation that we in is really a bipartisan issue. Both sides see that something needs to be done. With that, we need both sides working together to do something."
He reiterated these points in a series of tweets on Thursday morning. "Black progress is a bipartisan issue," he tweeted. "Talking truth to power is part of the process." He also retweeted an article from the Washington Post about his talks with the Trump administration, to which he replied, "I will advise anybody on the planet who has the power to help Black Americans close the enormous wealth gap."
"I haven't endorsed anybody," Cube replied to someone reminding him of one of his past tweets that said he would never endorse Trump. "Black progress is a bipartisan issue," he tweeted. "When we created the Contract With Black America we excepted to talk to both sides of the isle. Talking truth to power is part of the process."
The artist/actor has made a number of controversial comments suggesting he was unwilling to vote for the Democratic ticket. Throughout the 2020 race, Cube consistently called on both parties to explain how they will help Black Americans. He also called on politicians to sign his "Contract with Black America," which laid out a number of commitments related to prison reform, bank lending, and more.
One fan’s criticism, which got a retweet with comment from Cube, began, “My Hip-Hop HERO @icecube is working with the Darkside. I haven't felt this low since Kobe passed.”
Cube weighed in with, “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.”
On Oct. 11, the 51-year-old reiterated his concerns with the country's current two-party system. He once again questioned whether the two major parties are truly committed to helping Black communities. Ice Cube acknowledged the backlash he received for refusing to endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and suggested the Democrats were taking the Black vote for granted.
He went on to say he had been in contact with both Democratic and Republican leaders, emphasized he did not trust any of them.
"No president has done right by us," he said in a video. "So, I don't trust none of them. Putting our hopes and dreams behind any of them just don't work. ... I've been making contacts with them, trying to talk about these real issues. Straight up, I believe the Democrats have been nice. ... I don't really see them pushing their policies in any different direction." He added that Democrats recruited "every Black celebrity and shit on they team, so they just figure, 'Tell Cube to shut the fuck up and vote.' I ain't gonna do that. I'm gonna push the program."
He continued: "We also met with the Republicans. ... They've moved their agenda a lot because of what we've said. They put $500 billion on the table. But who knows what's really gon' happen. I just know one of them is gonna win. And I don't know if it really matters to us."
News of Cube's alleged involvement in the Platinum Plan immediately sparked criticism, as many labeled the entertainer a "sellout" and a "manipulator." Some Twitter users slammed him for not being completely transparent about his work with the Trump administration, and claimed his previous comments gave the false impression he was unwilling to support either party.
You can read some of the reactions below.
