Mark Cuban says he didn't know he was on President Trump's coronavirus council until day of announcement
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban received quite the surprise through a phone call on Tuesday: he had been selected for an extensive White House advisory group on the economic recovery from the coronavirus.
Hours later, President Donald Trump was announcing the list of over 200 business leaders at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.
According to NBC News, Cuban said he was one of the few on the group that knew he was in it in advance. Involvement was reportedly revealed to many through a single, cryptic email sent to leaders before and after the announcement:
In a copy of an email obtained by NBC News, the White House's communication to the industry leaders simply read: "President Trump is seeking your insights regarding our Nation's economic recovery. As an industry leader and a vital part of our past and future success, your contributions are greatly valued by the President, who will lead what will undoubtedly be an unprecedented economic resurgence."
Cuban’s involvement in the group isn’t too surprising when you given his status as one of the most outspoken owners in sports and place in the business community. He said just last week that he would gladly serve on such a task force.
However, Trump inviting Cuban is mildly curious given that he has been quite critical of Trump at times, strongly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and pondered a third-party run for president as recently as Monday. Trump did tout the bipartisan nature of the council.
Who else is on Trump’s coronavirus advisor group?
That group included the commissioners and top decision-makers of the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC, PGA Tour, LPGA, USTA, MLS, WWE, NASCAR and NHL, as well as Cuban, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
The sheer size of the overall advisory group means it’s unlikely it will ever meet in person, or even through a conference call. Some members of the group will likely have Trump’s ear more than others.
UFC President Dana White and WWE chairman Vince McMahon are both notoriously friendly with Trump and have donated to his campaign, and have also tried to hold sporting events amid the pandemic with varying success.
More from Yahoo Sports:
