Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban wishes he would have mounted a third-party presidential bid to defeat Donald Trump, but thinks it’s too late to develop a winning campaign.
Cuban told CNN that anti-Trump people contacted him to gauge his interest, but said he declined after a quick discussion.
“It would have been fun to run against Donald,” Cuban told CNN. Instead, he decided to spurn overtures from members of both major political parties and “some folks in the White House.”
“I think the one role I could have played as a third party candidate was to be the ‘straw man’ on issues,” Cuban told CNN. “It would be near impossible to win, but as a third candidate I could drive substantial discussion on material issues. That isn’t happening and it’s uncertain if Trump will let it happen. Driving discussion would have been an important role and it’s the primary reason I wish I could have pulled this off.”
He also told CNN he thinks it is high time for a president to come from the technological sector.
“I think the time is right for a technology literate entrepreneur to run for president,” he told CNN. “Someone who has had to grind to achieve success and can relate as well to those that follow Bernie as those that think the system is broken and follow Trump. The issue for any such candidate is that the process is broken. It’s a circus rather than a learning process for all involved.”
