Why Elon Musk and Mark Cuban disagree on Trump and Harris

I’ve interviewed Mark Cuban several times since 2015, but I’ve never seen him actively campaign for a Democrat, especially a progressive party.

Mark Cuban Perhaps someday he will become a good president, but he has not gone far into politics.

At least until this year.

co-owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and Shark Tank investor. not really a Republican. But I’ve interviewed him several times since 2015 and have yet to see him actively campaign for Democrats, especially progressive candidates.

However, Cuban participated in the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and has just interviewed the vice president for her YouTube page.

What does the Texas billionaire see in the Harris campaign? And why is he fighting with another famous Texas billionaire, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk?

I asked Cuban about his recent foray into politics.

Mark Cuban: ‘I know Harris would make a better president’

Cuban feuded with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for years, even before the New Yorker entered politics. But in 2015, Cuban said Trump was “probably the best thing to happen to politics in a long, long time.”

Cuban initially thought it would be good if Trump, a fellow businessman, could change the state of American politics.

“I thought, ‘He’s great. He’s not your typical Stepford candidate. I think that’s a positive thing.” Cuban told former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in a recent interview.

He quickly changed his mind.

In a 2017 column I wrote for the Daily Beast, Cuban told me that Trump was an “idiot” but that he himself was not a “liberal.”

“Are you a liberal now? Or even a far-left progressive?” I asked him by email this month in light of his vocal support for Harris.

“Lol. No. I remain independent and make decisions on every position,” Cuban wrote in response. “I know Harris would make a better president. That’s the only reason I support it.”

“If it was up to me, they could make political parties illegal and I’d be happy,” Cuban added.

This view is likely to disappoint conservatives, confuse liberals and encourage libertarians.

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Many conservatives thought he looked like one of them. And it turns out that even though he is campaigning for Harris, he still divides conservatives on some ideas.

“I would prefer a smaller, more efficient government,” Cuban said. “But I prefer to be pragmatic rather than dogmatic.”

He said government programs can help people in need and that charitable work is something he values. His Cost Plus Pharmaco Company this is a real example. The online pharmacy boasts prices for pharmaceuticals that are significantly lower than their usual cost.

“We as a country are only as good as our children. When kids and their parents struggle, it makes life harder for them and those who love and help them,” Cuban told me. “When we solve some of our underlying problems, we can start removing these programs. … I had this exact conversation with Kamala. About the need to make government programs more effective so we can get better outcomes for the people who need them.”

Despite Harris’ pro-political stances $25,000 down payment helping qualified first-time home buyers and giving away 1 million “fully forgiving” loans Up to $20,000 for black entrepreneurs, Cuban still believes she is better suited for the job than Trump.

“I want a president who is honest, ethical, open, and not an ideologue or dogmatist,” Cuban wrote. “Pragmatic, analytical and learns from her experiences and the experiences of others.”

“This is Harris vs. Elon”

Cuban is not the only one billionaire running for president. Elon Musk, another Texas billionaire, is actively campaigning for Trump.

“Elon has taken over the Republican Party,” Cuban told me. “I believe that the organization that does the best job will win this election.”

He acknowledges Musk’s influence. “This is the Harris campaign against Elon, not even Trump,” Cuban said during a recent appearance on “Squawk Box” CNBC“

But he still doesn’t understand why Musk is so actively campaigning for Trump. “I don’t know. This makes no sense to me,” Cuban wrote.

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Musk’s propaganda activities may be related to his hatred of government censorship. He now owns Company X, formerly Twitter. The Washington Post called Musk “the world’s richest standard-bearer for free speech.”

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, questioned the limits freedom of speech, a sentiment that has conservatives worried about their leadership if they win.

I’ve interviewed enough of Cuban to appreciate his views on politics and policy, although I don’t share many of them. I also appreciate Musk’s commitment to free speech. When I see them fighting, it seems to me that two uncles are fighting.

So I had to ask Cuban: Musk’s net worth is about $270 billion.. Cuban costs approximately 6 billion dollars. How do voters know this isn’t just a personal battle between Texas billionaires?

“To me, none of this is about Elon,” Cuban said. “He’s a great entrepreneur, a world-class troll, but that doesn’t change the fact that Kamala Harris is a much better candidate.”

Mark Cuban on Trump tariffs and paying taxes

The Cuban clearly enjoys being at the center of political battles, but he is first and foremost a businessman.

Cuban co-founded the first commercial streaming company, which he sold in 1999 for nearly $6 billion, becoming 91% of its employees into millionaires.

As the first billionaire investor on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Cuban was a major reason for the show’s success. Previously, I asked him about how ordinary Americans should cope with a possible recession. (Pay off debt and save money.) Now I was curious to hear his thoughts on some of Trump’s more controversial economic policies and how they would affect everyday people’s finances.

Trump, for example, recently promised that he would introduce a basic tariff up to 20% on imports to the US and 60% on imports from China.

“We actually asked the entrepreneurs who came on the show how the tariffs would affect their businesses. They all said it was a negative for them because it would increase their costs and create uncertainty in their capital allocation,” Cuban said. “When you don’t know if tariffs will be introduced and how much they will cost, you won’t be able to run your business as usual. And when tariffs affect everyone, more often than not they will reduce your sales and profits.”

Trump’s tariff proposal is disappointing. Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, said that American consumers who will ‘take the brunt’ such a policy.

Conservatives who like Trump cite him tax benefitswhich expires in 2025 as one example of why he should be president.

In the spring, Cuban wrote on X that he proud to have paid nearly $300 million in taxes. I asked him why he thought the richest 1% should pay more than their fair share in taxes.

“Because to a certain extent we were lucky,” Cuban said. “I started the streaming business just at the moment when the stock market for Internet companies was booming. It’s luck. The only reason I ended up in this position was because of all the amazing things this country has given me. Because of all the people who put their lives on the line to protect us. None of this is free. I truly believe that after military service, paying your taxes is the most patriotic thing you can do.”

Is paying taxes and helping others become millionaires as much as Cubans are willing to do for America? Or will he ever put his name on the ballot as an independent candidate?

In a 2016 interview Cuban told me he would never run for president but would consider becoming vice president. The 2028 elections are just four years away.

“Who would be your choice for vice president?” I asked.

Always charming and insightful, he replied, “Are you available?”

Nicole Russell is a columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track.and receive it in your mailbox.