WASHINGTON — (CNN) Move over, Donald Trump. There’s a new billionaire thinking about the presidency.
Mark Cuban traded emails with CNBC on Monday — the network that airs his Shark Tank reality show — saying he would “crush” Trump if he decided to enter the race.
“If I ran as a Dem, I know I could beat Hillary Clinton. And if it was me vs. Trump, I would crush him. No doubt about it,” he told CNBC.
People ask Cuban if he’s considering a campaign “every day,” and he said it’s “a fun idea to toss around.”
That’s a major shift in tone for Cuban. When asked if he would consider a bid for president on CNN’s Crossfire last year, his response was: “Hell f***ing no.”
But that was before Trump entered the race, and he has undoubtedly blazed a trail for the likes of Cuban to consider a bid for office. Trump is still leading his Republican opponents by double digits. That’s despite being a rare breed in politics, with extreme wealth, little experience, and a confrontational demeanor.
“There is no question the game has changed and Donald has a much stronger command of it than the rest of the candidates,” Cuban reportedly told CNBC.
Cuban has praised Trump’s campaign style in the past, calling him “the best thing to happen to politics in a long, long time” back in July.
Cuban, a venture capitalist and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, said his primary focus would be economic policy. He told CNBC that he’d try to simplify the tax code, and address income inequality and college debt.
He also mentioned cybersecurity — something Cuban is known to be concerned with, particularly after his emails were included in a massive hack at Sony Pictures last December. He’s even created his own secure messaging app: Cyber Dust.
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