Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Reportedly Thinking Seriously About 2020 Run as an Independent
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is seriously considering a run for president in 2020 as an independent candidate.
Schultz is on 60 Minutes tomorrow and in a preview already released by CBS News (video above), he says that President Donald Trump is not qualified to be president, and that “both parties are consistently not doing what’s necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged every single day in revenge politics.”
Per The Atlantic, he’s also going to be talking about his potential presidential aspirations. Schultz is reportedly “thinking very seriously about a presidential run” and while he’s not expected to make a definitive announcement, he would be running as an independent.
There’s been some recent reporting about Schultz considering a 2020 run against Trump, but as the Atlantic report notes, Democrats are alarmed this kind of independent bid would help the president:
Already top Democratic operatives working for presidential candidates and beyond say they’re worried that the only thing he’ll accomplish is making sure Donald Trump gets re-elected. It’s more than just sniping at a prospective opponent; word that he might invest in an independent run has many of them clearly worried about how he’d split votes in a general election…
“Trump’s strategy has always been divide and conquer, and this plays directly into his hands,” said one Democratic strategist, who was wary of taking on Schultz openly ahead of any announcement. “He’s Ralph Nader without any of Nader’s redeeming qualities. What’s his value proposition for America? Make America like a corporate chain?”
One Democratic senator spoke out today saying he should focus on policy instead of a presidential run:
The best thing that Howard Schultz can do for the country is invest in education, voting rights, civil rights, and climate advocacy. There is zero appetite for this, and there is an urgent need for the Democratic candidate to win in 2020.
— Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) January 26, 2019
[image via screengrab]
