Howard Schultz slams Donald Trump as 'not qualified' to be president
Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain on Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz considering a run for president and the expanding Democratic field in the 2020 presidential race.
Former Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz said Sunday he is “seriously considering” a bid for the White House in 2020 as a “centrist independent,” in an interview on “60 Minutes.”
“We’re living at a most fragile time,” Schultz told CBS’s news magazine. “Not only the fact that this president is not qualified to be the president, but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what is necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged every single day in revenge politics.”
Schultz stepped down as Starbucks CEO in 2017 after more than 40 years with the company, though he remains chairman emeritus. He has an estimated net worth of close to $3.3 billion, according to Forbes.
The 65-year-old, a lifelong Democrat, stopped short of a full announcement. He’s been long rumored to have political aspirations ever since his resignation from Starbucks was announced.
“I wanna see the American people win,” Schultz said in the interview. “I wanna 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.”
On policy, the former coffee chain chief executive said he supports immigration, criticized Trump’s decision to leave the Paris climate agreement and would have focused on cutting taxes for individuals, while giving a “more modest” tax cut to American businesses, instead of slashing the corporate rate to 21 percent. Schultz added that while he believes in the idea of universal health care coverage, it cannot be free of charge, an idea some Democrats have proposed.
“Every American deserves the right to have access to quality health care,” he said. “But what the Democrats are proposing is something that is as false as the wall. And that is free health care for all, which the country cannot afford.”
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This story was originally published on Jan. 26 and has been updated to include quotes from the full "60 Minutes" interview