Dallas Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban confirmed to The Daily Beast on Tuesday night that he will be working with President Donald Trump’s newly announced “opening our country” economic council, to provide counsel to the White House on how and when to encourage Americans and businesses to begin returning to normal in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump has made clear that he wants to start easing strict federal guidelines regarding the virus as early as May, though he’s faced significant pushback from public-health officials, as well as governors who are in charge of their own states’ protective orders.
Cuban, who endorsed and campaigned for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and called Trump a “jagoff” at a Pittsburgh rally that year, said that he’ll be taking on an “advisory” role with the new council, which is separate from the coronavirus task force. “I’m absolutely looking forward to trying to help,” he added. “I’ll find out more tomorrow I believe.” Cuban said the White House had reached out to him recently and asked him about taking on this position, and he agreed. Asked who he spoke to in the Trump administration about this, he replied, “I didn’t even get their name.”
Earlier Tuesday, Trump said at a White House press briefing that Cuban and other figures in the sports industry would be in communication with the administration as part of efforts to instill confidence in a collapsing American economy. “We have to get our sports back. I'm tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old,” the president said.
