Ice Cube is reportedly working on President Donald Trump's reelection campaign to empower Black workers and invest in Black communities.
Senior Advisor to the Trump campaign Katrina Pierson tweeted the BIG3 owner has teamed with Trump on what's being called the “Platinum Plan.”
Shoutout to @icecube for his willingness to step up and work with @realDonaldTrump Administration to help develop the #PlatinumPlan
ICYMI: https://t.co/V0qOAp0lwR
Leaders gonna lead, haters gonna hate. Thank you for leading! ✊🏾
— Katrina Pierson (@KatrinaPierson) October 13, 2020
Needless to say, the news has elicited some very strong reactions, some NSFW.
https://twitter.com/ProfessorCrunk/status/1316467774869377025
Some suggested Ice Cube is being hypocritical in working with Trump, given some of his past statements on the current administration, including Top Chef‘s Padma Lakshmi.
Ice Cube on Trump:
2016: "Do I think he’s gonna do anything to help poor people or people that’s struggling? No"
2018: "He’s violating the country in a lot of ways. Every day it’s something. It’s just every day.
2020: “I can’t wait to see [Trump] like Weinstein in handcuffs." pic.twitter.com/cwFPr6KSDU
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 14, 2020
However, Dave Zirin of The Nation is wondering whether the news is really true or not.
Zirin called Pierson a “grifter” and a “fraud,” noting he would be skeptical of the announcement until Ice Cube himself confirms the news.
Katrina Pierson is a grifter and a fraud. Until @IceCube Cube comes out with his #MAGA statement, I'm going to be skeptical. In fact, why wait? I'm going to email Cube's agent. Let's find out what's up. https://t.co/AnzA6GeoaF
— Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) October 14, 2020
Then again, one of Zirin's respondents noted the rapper and actor had been “signal boosting” content from QAnon, a far-right conspiracy group.
https://twitter.com/demoncelery/status/1316470058865045506
Cube has been in the news quite a bit in recent months, but for all the wrong reasons.
The noted Los Angeles Lakers fan went on an anti-Semitic rant on Twitter in June, then doubled down on his initial remarks.
Political contributor Yashar Ali noted conservatives slammed Cube for his anti-Semitism earlier this summer, but wonders whether these same people will condemn his previous remarks now that he has allegedly joined forces with Trump.
Serious question…conservatives were railing on Ice Cube just this summer about his history of anti-semitic statements and tweets. Rightly so, they were anti-semitic.
So he's ok now?
And don't mention Farrakhan…I've gone after him a ton. https://t.co/vvxvfoiQTd
— Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار (@yashar) October 14, 2020
In any case, Ice Cube has been in the news for political reasons (or otherwise) far more than it relates to the BIG3.
The three-on-three basketball league was hoping to conduct its fourth season, but play was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. It remains to be seen when (or if) the BIG3 will return.