Shark Tank co-star and billionaire net video entrepreneur Mark Cuban was quick to rebuff the idea that he would run as an independent candidate for president, but he said if the election were held today, he would probably be casting his vote for Hillary Clinton.
In an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, Cuban said of Clinton: Better the devil you know.
He said at least he knew what her policies were, while Donald Trump lists issues on his website, but does not say how he will address them. Execution, said Cuban, is the key to success in business and elsewhere. It is easy to talk about it, not so easy to get it done.
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Cubans said he had gotten an e-mail through an associate about possibly running, but that there was no chance, "none," that he would run. He said it was too late to get on ballots, for one thing. he called it a quick no and characterized the suggestion as "ridiculous."
But he suggested a Trump presidency was no laughing matter, and that isolationist economic policies could lead to a huge market "correction." Burnett asked for numbers, and Cuban said 20% or more was possible, particularly given high-frequency trading.
Burnett played a clip from Shark Tank in which billionaire Cuban was berating a contestant, asking Cuban if he thought he had been reached out to because he was kind of like Trump himself.
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At least I have a billion dollars, said Cuban, a reference to those, including himself, who are not convinced Trump is worth what he says he is. Cuban conceded that being an outspoken billionaire probably figured into the approach about running. Also, like Trump, he said he can get access to media "anytime, anywhere, anyhow," and he knows how to take advantage of it, which is what Trump has done so successfully.
Asked how smart Trump is, Cuban said probably not as smart as he thinks he is. Cuban said he had been excited when Trump got into the race, but the candidate has not appeared to learn along the way. Where he has come from, Cuban said, he would have thought he would be more knowledgeable about issues--jobs, immigration--but that that was not the case.
