From: allin
Mark Cuban has become notably vocal about politics during the current election cycle, driven by his patriotism and a belief that Kamala Harris is a better choice for the country over Donald Trump [00:01:05, 00:01:14, 00:02:01]. Cuban identifies as an independent, having voted for both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in the past, as well as independent candidates like Ross Perot Jr. and John Anderson [00:01:21, 00:01:41, 00:02:10]. He views the Republican party as having become Donald Trump’s “family business” [00:01:56].
Mark Cuban’s Relationship with Donald Trump
Cuban’s relationship with Donald Trump has evolved over time, shifting from early interactions to periods of friendship, rivalry, and eventually opposition to his presidency.
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Early Interactions (2000s)
- Cuban first met Donald Trump at a Super Bowl party at Mar-a-Lago in January 2000, shortly after Broadcast.com’s sale [00:06:43, 00:06:46].
- Trump pointed to a veranda, telling Cuban, “Someday you’ll be able to sit up there with the rich people” [00:07:50].
- Cuban later visited Trump’s office in Trump Towers in early 2000, noting every inch was covered with pictures of Trump himself [00:08:14, 00:08:44]. Trump sought Cuban’s advice on selling merchandise online [00:08:26].
- After Cuban’s show The Benefactor was canceled in 2004, Trump sent him a letter implying Cuban “sucked” [00:09:47, 00:09:54].
- By 2007, they were friendly again, with Trump’s son Eric reaching out. Cuban’s HDNet partnered with Trump’s organization to broadcast MMA fights [00:10:23, 00:10:51]. During this time, Trump publicly praised Cuban, saying, “Everything Mark Cuban touches turns to gold” [00:11:35].
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Shifting Views and the 2016 Election
- Cuban’s public rivalry with Trump began on Twitter around 2011-2012, when Trump started tweeting about Cuban’s golf swing [00:11:51, 00:12:32].
- When Donald Trump announced his presidential run in 2015, Cuban initially supported him, seeing him as a non-traditional politician who was good for politics [00:12:37, 00:13:17].
- Cuban frequently conversed with Trump by phone but noted Trump’s refusal to send emails, instead scanning handwritten notes to avoid a “paper trail” [00:13:29, 00:14:41].
- Cuban found Trump unwilling to engage in in-depth policy conversations, particularly on issues like privacy and national security [00:15:53, 00:16:18, 00:16:31]. This led Cuban to state on CNN that Trump was not learning [00:16:37].
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During Trump’s Presidency
- After Trump was elected in 2016, Cuban sent a congratulatory message and offered help [00:17:08].
- Cuban was invited to the White House to discuss healthcare reform and his “10 Plan” for replacing the ACA [00:17:26, 00:17:40].
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuban sent the administration ideas on backstopping bank and credit card accounts and worked with Peter Navarro to increase PPE production, including connecting them with a manufacturer near Fort Worth [00:17:47, 00:18:01].
- Despite these interactions, Cuban continued to observe Trump’s disinterest in in-depth policy discussions, preferring to talk about his achievements like saving money on Boeing [00:18:23, 00:18:30].
Critiques of the Trump Administration
Mark Cuban views Donald Trump as unsuitable for the presidency [00:01:52, 01:28:43]. His primary criticisms of the Trump administration’s four years include:
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Divisive Social Climate: The “vibe of the country” was “really, really, really bad,” characterized by “hate” and negative tweets that created uncertainty for businesses [00:19:20, 00:19:32, 00:55:04].
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Handling of 2020 Riots: Cuban blames Trump’s approach to the BLM protests and riots in 2020, particularly his “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” comment, for leading to more deaths during his term compared to Biden’s [00:19:45, 00:20:00].
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Foreign Policy and War:
- Cuban challenges Trump’s claim of being anti-war, citing his decision in 2019 to continue selling munitions to Saudi Arabia despite a bipartisan congressional resolution to stop, contributing to the war in Yemen where over 100,000 people died [00:20:05, 00:20:10, 00:20:14, 00:20:25, 00:20:32].
- He draws a parallel between this action and the situation in Ukraine, suggesting Trump prioritizes “sales opportunities” [00:20:42, 00:23:12].
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Inflation: Cuban posits a “novel theory” that Trump’s intervention in the oil market significantly contributed to inflation [00:24:26, 00:32:10].
- He argues that Trump, in April 2020, asked Saudi Arabia (MBS) and Russia (Putin) to reduce oil production to help U.S. oil companies [00:24:45, 00:24:49, 00:25:28].
- This reduction in production, which lasted for two years, drove up the price of gas, a cost embedded in all goods, directly contributing to the 9.1% inflation seen in 2022 [00:25:01, 00:25:15, 00:27:07, 00:27:43]. Cuban believes this decision protected oil companies at the expense of American consumers [00:31:17].
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Character and Leadership Style:
- Cuban acknowledges Trump’s charisma, personality, and ability as a “schmoozer” and “salesperson” [00:06:08, 00:28:43].
- However, he likens Trump to “Roy Cohn Jr.,” suggesting he follows Cohn’s tactics of always being out for himself [00:28:52].
- Cuban feels Trump doesn’t make an effort to learn [00:16:41].
Positives of the Trump Administration
Despite his criticisms, Cuban identified some positives from the Trump administration:
- Tax Cuts: Cuban agreed with the corporate tax rate reduction from 35% to 21% and bringing down capital gains rates, viewing them as necessary for global competitiveness, although he felt Trump “went too far” [00:39:22, 00:39:45].
- Operation Warp Speed: He credits Trump for Operation Warp Speed, which accelerated vaccine development during the pandemic [00:40:05, 00:49:05].
Overall Political Dynamics
Cuban asserts that political parties no longer exist as ideological entities but rather as “fundraising vehicles” with established procedures [01:49:39, 01:49:42]. He argues that Donald Trump effectively “took over the Republican party,” and now Kamala Harris has learned from this, aiming to assert similar control over the Democratic party [01:49:48, 01:50:00]. This results in a focus on winning and individual personality over traditional party ideology [01:46:00, 01:50:10].