Ice Cube says he's 'not playing politics' by working with Trump on his $500BN 'Platinum Plan' for black Americans and slams Democratic critics for telling him to 'shut up and vote' for Biden
Rapper Ice Cube has defended his co-working effort with President Donald Trump on his Black Economic Empowerment 'Platinum Plan' saying, 'I’m not playing politics with this'.
'I’m willing to meet with anybody who could bring this to life and make it a reality,' the hip hop giant said to host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday.
The 51-year-old artist revealed he spoke with Democrats and Republicans to present his plan, which aims to invest $500billion into black communities, but faced public backlash for working with the Trump administration.
Ice Cube said the Biden campaign wanted to work with him after the election and the Trump campaign showed more immediate interest. The artist said he sat down with Trump advisor Jared Kushner for three hours about the proposal.
Rapper Ice Cube has defended his co-working effort with President Donald Trump on his Black Economic Empowerment 'Platinum Plan' saying, 'I’m not playing politics with this'
'I’m willing to meet with anybody who could bring this to life and make it a reality,' the hip hop giant said to host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday after the rapper received backlash for working with Trump
Ice Cube said the Biden campaign wanted to work with him after the election and the Trump campaign showed more immediate interest. The artist said he sat down with Trump advisor Jared Kushner for three hours about the proposal
POWER PLAYER: Rapper and activist @icecube joined FOX News Sunday to talk about his “Contract with Black America” and how he’s working with Washington to make a change. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/lrBZeMG6Xj
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) October 25, 2020
POWER PLAYER: Rapper and activist @icecube joined FOX News Sunday to talk about his “Contract with Black America” and how he’s working with Washington to make a change. #FoxNewsSunday pic.twitter.com/lrBZeMG6Xj
By mid-September the initiative was beefed up and announced during Trump’s campaign stop in Atlanta, two months before the election.
The proposals in the plan include prosecuting the Ku Klux Klan and Antifa as terrorist organizations, making Juneteenth a federal holiday and economic efforts to bolster black prosperity.
The plan proposes creating 3million new jobs in the black community over the next four years, increasing capital by nearly $500billion and better and tailored health care plans to address historic disparities.
'They listened, heard what I had to say ... and pumped up their plan and presented it to the people on September, I believe, 24,' the rapper said.
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz slammed the Biden campaign saying they 'take Black America for granted' by not working with Ice Cube.
'It's pretty clear that the Joe Biden plan for black America is to take black America for granted. Just look at Ice Cube's experience—he wrote a contract with black America: a series of policy goals to improve quality of life for black Americans,' he said on Fox News on Sunday.
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz slammed the Biden campaign for not immediately working with Ice Cube, saying: 'It's pretty clear that the Joe Biden plan for black America is to take black America for granted'
Fans slammed Ice Cube for working with Trump and his administration, which seemed like a jump from the rapper’s politically critical work with songs like 'F*** the Police'
Over the summer relIce Cube eased a 'Contract with Black America' calling for reforms to close the opportunity gap in the country and said both political parties contacted him afterwards
'The Democrats told him well that's very nice that you've put that together, we'll talk to you after the election. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign said let's build out a platinum plan for black America, let's use the contract with Black America as a foundation for that,' he added.
Fans also slammed Ice Cube for working with Trump and his administration, which seemed like a jump from the rapper’s politically critical work with songs like 'F*** the Police'.
But for the rapper this is a project he’s been working on for some time.
Over the summer he released a 'Contract with black America' calling for reforms to close the opportunity gap in the country and said both political parties contacted him afterwards.
Earlier this month he shared a video on Twitter praising Trump's work with the 'Platinum Plan' saying Democrats 'got every black celebrity on their team', so 'they just figured tell Cube to shut the f*** up and vote.'
'Descendants of slaves, the ones who built this country are being kind of forgotten in the fray,' Ice Cube said.
'We make up 13 percent of the country, and we're only getting .5 percent of the wealth in the country,' he added.
Donald Trump announced the Platinum Plan in mid-September. The plan proposes creating 3million new jobs in the black community over the next four years, increasing capital by nearly $500billion and better and tailored health care plans to address historic disparities
When asked who he was voting for in the election just eight days away, Ice Cube said he didn’t know whether he’ll vote for Trump or Biden.
'I still think it’s a bunch of stupid people that keep this system in place, but for the most part I understand why it’s there,' he said.
'Whether Donald Trump is re-elected or Joe Biden wins and becomes the new president, what are you going to be doing to try to push the system over the next four years?' he added.
'Find pressure points. That’s the only way you can push.'
He noted that no matter who’s in office, he will continue to advocate for the black community.
'You know, my daddy told me long time ago, no matter who's the president, you got to get up and go to work in the morning, and I always remember that. So, no matter who's the president, I'm going to get up and go to work in the morning,' he said.
The Biden campaign has already unveiled its own Plan for black America independent of Ice Cube’s plan, promising to end 'systemic racism' from laws, institutions and public policy.
It promises to give black Americans improved access to credit and capital to boost business, improve access to quality education and expand African American home ownership and access to affordable, safe housing.
According to a survey by YouGov and The Economist, almost three quarters of Black Americans at 74 percent intend to vote for Biden at the polls, with just six perfect back Trump, while 11 percent said they would not be voting at all, as per Newsweek.