Internet Erupts After Ice Cube Is Exposed For Working With Trump

The internet seemingly screeched to a shocked halt on Oct. 13, 2020, when senior advisor Katrina Pierson, who works for Donald Trump's administration, tweeted that rapper Ice Cube was working with the president. Pierson's tweet read: "Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan ... Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading!" She added a gif of Ice Cube laughing and saying, "Today was a good day."

According to TMZ, Trump first spoke about his plan in Atlanta, Ga., in September 2020, when he discussed proposals to enhance education and jobs within Black communities and to increase "capital in Black communities by as much as $500 billion." The outlet also noted that Ice Cube has been discussing these issues himself and jumped on an earlier interview with TMZ, released on YouTube on Sept. 9, 2020, in which the rapper said he was planning on meeting with both democrats and republicans to come up with a plan.

It's clear that Trump's team got Ice Cube's pick, but people are still really confused. Here's why.

News broke that rapper Ice Cube will be working with Donald Trump and his administration on Trump's "Platinum Plan," a promise to bring greater financial resources, education, and job opportunities to Black Americans, according to AOL. People reacted with confusion since the former N.W.A. member has publicly condemned Trump in the past. As The Washington Post points out, in 2018, Ice Cube put out a track called "Arrest the President," a single from his album, Everythang's Corrupt. The song is directed at Trump, as Rolling Stone notes, with lines like "Did you know the new white was orange?"

As such, Twitter has been flooded with questions about the surprising union between Ice Cube and the Trump administration. Writer Roxane Gay tweeted: "Good lord ... how much are they paying Ice Cube??? How ... does the guy from NWA become MAGA?" Activist Brittany Packnett Cunningham tweeted: "From NWA to MAGA(?). 2020 got some wild subplots."

Ice Cube himself jumped on Twitter to explain his new stance. Here's what he had to say.

Ice Cube spoke up via Twitter after people reacted in confusion to the news that he was working with the Trump administration. For instance, someone tweeted: "My Hip-Hop HERO @icecube is working with the Darkside. I haven't felt this low since Kobe passed. HEARTBREAKING. Cube, I'm not sure you understand how much we value your voice." The rapper personally responded to this tweet by writing, "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."

Prior to this tweet, Ice Cube tweeted a broader explanation by referencing his plan, Contract With Black America, his "policy plan for racial justice," according to The Washington Post. Ice Cube explained on Twitter, "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."

On Oct. 15, 2020, Ice Cube posted another tweet, writing, "Black progress is a bipartisan issue. When we created the Contract With Black America we [expected] to talk to both sides of the [aisle.] Talking truth to power is part of the process."

While Ice Cube stresses the fact that his focus is a bipartisan issue, his fans are eagerly expressing concern, saying he can't trust Trump.

As Ice Cube continued to explain his surprising position on Twitter, he tweeted on Oct. 15, 2020: "I will advise anybody on the planet who has the power to help Black Americans close the enormous wealth gap." His fans, on the other hand, are expressing concern and advising the rapper to proceed with caution while collaborating with Donald Trump. One person wrote: "I am going to go out on a limb and guess that Trump & Co. reached out to you for the optics, as opposed to a genuine interest in closing the wealth gap..." Another person noted that if Trump was genuinely worried about the equity gap facing Black Americans, he would have already done something about it, writing, "If he had the power to help Black Americans and pass his 'platinum plan' he would do it now, he is currently the president..."

On the same day, Ice Cube noted on Twitter that he still hasn't endorsed anybody and referenced his own tweet from 2016 where he wrote, "I will never endorse a mothaf***a like Donald Trump! EVER!!!" The conversation is still very much happening, as Ice Cube notified people that CNN's Chris Cuomo had reached out to him to talk, explaining, "@CuomoPrimeTime asked me to come on tomorrow for those that need clarity ... I accepted."

It seems answers are still coming for those who are confused, supportive, or horrified by Ice Cube's news.