President Trump is wasting no time jabbing at Howard Schultz, the billionaire former Starbucks CEO pondering an independent 2020 White House bid.
“Howard Schultz doesn’t have the ‘guts’ to run for President!” Trump tweeted Monday morning. “Watched him on @60Minutes last night and I agree with him that he is not the ‘smartest person.’ Besides, America already has that! I only hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!”
Schultz on Sunday night announced on Twitter he is considering a presidential run in 2020 as a “centrist independent” candidate — a move that coincided with a “60 Minutes” segment about him.
[Related: Julian Castro: Howard Schultz independent bid is Trump’s ‘best hope’ for re-election]
I love our country, and I am seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent.
— Howard Schultz (@HowardSchultz) January 28, 2019
The lifelong Democrat dismissed questions about potentially siphoning off votes from the Democratic nominee and helping Trump win re-election — a concern raised by Democrats across Twitter Sunday night and into Monday morning.
“I look at both parties. We see extremes on both sides,” Schultz said. “I want to see the American people win. I want to see America win. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat, independent, libertarian, Republican. Bring me your ideas. And I will be an independent person who will embrace those ideas. Because I am not, in any way, in bed with a party.”
Schultz told Axios after the interview he was “unfazed” by negative reaction from Democrats online.
“I’m putting myself in a position that I know is going to create hate, anger, disenfranchisement from friends, from Democrats,” Schultz said. “I’m concerned about one thing: Doing everything I can to help families who have been left behind, and to restore dignity and honor back in the Oval Office.”
