Fact Check: Did Ice Cube praise Trump, saying he fought for heart and soul of America?
WASHINGTON, DC: A social media post claims rapper Ice Cube praised President Donald Trump, saying the president fought harder for the heart and soul of America. The claim surfaced amid pressure and criticism of the Trump administration, drawing backlash and speculation from online users and prompting a fact check.
Claim: Ice Cube said Donald Trump fought for the heart and soul of America
According to the viral claim, Ice Cube said, “Let’s be honest. Donald Trump is a tough man. He can be blunt, outspoken, and unapologetic. But in my lifetime, no one has fought harder for the heart and soul of America.”
The claim has garnered hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing, drawing backlash against the rapper, while a few others amplified the alleged quote, appearing to agree with him. It suggests that many believe the claim to be authentic, while others remain skeptical.
Fact Check: Ice Cube did not make the statement
The claim, however, is false, as there are no records of the 57-year-old rapper making such a statement about the president.
There are no publicly available statements, press reports, interviews, or social media posts by the rapper where he was heard making the statement.
If Ice Cube had really made such a statement, it would not go unreported by credible news and entertainment media outlets. A search on Google for the quote also yielded no credible news reports.
A search for the quote also revealed that it has been circulating on various social media platforms for years and has been falsely attributed to several other celebrities and public figures, including Sophie Cunningham.
Hence, the quote is rated as fake and fabricated for the sake of engagement.
Ice Cube once praised Donald Trump
In 2020, Ice Cube said that he would never endorse Trump when he stirred up a row for working with Trump on his plan for Black America.
Defending the work he’s done with Trump, Ice Cube tweeted, “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 to negotiate with whoever is in power, or our condition in this country will never change. Our justice is bipartisan.”
In 2016, he said about Trump, “Donald Trump is what Americans love. Donald Trump is what Americans aspire to be — rich, powerful, do what you wanna do, say what you wanna say, be how you wanna be. That’s kind of been like the American dream. He looks like a boss to everybody, and Americans love to have a boss.”