President Trump attacked Howard Schultz on Twitter yesterday saying he didn’t have the guts to run, which many believe was the president’s way of actually luring him into the race.
Maggie Haberman confirmed these suspicions: “Trump told the crowd at the Trump Hotel tonight fundraiser that he was trying to get Howard Schultz into the race with his tweet earlier today because he thinks he’ll help him, per attendee.”
Howard Schultz adviser Steve Schmidt told Politico that the former Starbucks CEO would save the Democratic Party from nominating “someone who is so far to the left that it guarantees Trump a reelection.”
Said Schmidt: “They have done polling to gauge a potential path for Schultz, and they argue that if Schultz runs, he will open up presidential politics to not only independent voters, but to a swath of non-battleground states that campaigns typically ignore.”
Dave Weigel has another view: “One fallacy you’ll never see me fall for is that an election between Trump and ‘someone on the left like Warren’ would leave a huge path in the middle. If you’re saying that, find me the polls and point to the unpopular idea the left is running on. There isn’t one.”
“Don’t help elect Trump, you egotistical billionaire asshole.”
— A heckler at Howard Schultz’s first stop on his national book tour.
“In a sign of how serious Howard Schultz is about running for president, he has hired political strategist Steve Schmidt and Democratic consultant Bill Burton to help shape his forthcoming campaign,” CBS News reports.
“Schmidt, a former top Republican strategist, helped run George W. Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign and the failed 2008 presidential bid by GOP Arizona Senator John McCain. Burton helped run Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and later served as deputy White House press secretary.”
President Trump questioned the intelligence of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz in a tweet after Schultz hinted at an “independent” presidential bid in 2020.
Said Trump: “Howard Schultz doesn’t have the ‘guts’ to run for President! Watched him on 60 Minutes last night and I agree with him that he is not the ‘smartest person.’ Besides, America already has that! I only hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!”
Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz tells Axios he’s “unfazed” by the online trashing from Democrats who think that by running for president as an independent, he could split the anti-Trump vote and re-elect the president.
Said Schultz: “I’m putting myself in a position that I know is going to create hate, anger, disenfranchisement from friends, from Democrats.”
Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, will say in a 60 Minutes interview already recorded, but airing on Sunday that he is thinking very seriously about an independent presidential run — but stop short of a full announcement, The Atlantic reports.
“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.”
“Former Starbucks chairman and CEO Howard Schultz is putting together an elite public relations team as prepares to release a civic-minded new book and considers running for president in 2020,” CNBC reports.
“A key player in Schultz’s growing team is Steve Schmidt, a former vice chairman at public relations powerhouse Edelman who managed Republican Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign in 2008… With experience mainly in the business world but not the political arena, Schultz would likely need experienced political operators on his side if he were to dive into presidential politics. Schmidt fits that bill.”
Politico: “Starbucks founder Howard Schultz’s presidential hopes are already running into resistance from his old coffee cohort. Wall Street analysts are wary, and company leadership is nervous, about the effect a Democratic bid by its chairman emeritus could have on Starbucks’ business, given its bipartisan customer base.”
”If that weren’t discouraging enough, his retirement last month set off a boomlet of pundits urging him not to run. And his recent appearance at a private gathering of political donors convened by Mitt Romney inspired indifference.”
“As Schultz takes the summer off to contemplate a presidential campaign, the world is giving him a lot of downside to ponder.”
“Howard Schultz, who built the coffee chain into a global giant, is leaving the company. He has been an outspoken leader on civic issues, and this move has reignited speculation that he might plan a run for political office,” the Washington Post reports.
New York Times: “Mr. Schultz’s decision to retire, a plan he said he privately outlined to the board a year ago, will most likely stoke speculation that he is considering a run for president in 2020. He is frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for the Democratic Party and has become increasingly vocal on political issues, including criticizing President Trump last year as ‘a president that is creating episodic chaos every day.'”
While Howard Schultz says he “has no plans” to run for office, he believes that in his post-Starbucks’ future he has “a role to play to elevate the national conversation, both in the US and around the world,” on issues like economic bifurcation, racial tension, populism and the role of the private sector in fostering more sustainable and inclusive growth, the Financial Times reports.
Said Schultz: “We’re living in a fragile world. There’s a need for more passionate government.”
“Certainly, his Wednesday address sounded more like a stump speech than a message to investors; it was filled with references not to gluten-free baked goods but ‘rising nationalism,’ the need for ‘shared values’ and a call to build ‘a great and enduring America.'”
High-powered friends of Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz are reportedly eager to anoint him as a challenger to Hillary Clinton, Fortune reports.
“It would mark a shift for Schultz if he does enter the presidential ring. In an interview with Time in February, Schultz was adamant that he would not run for President in 2016: ‘I don’t think that is a solution. I don’t think it ends well,’ he said in the story. He threw a cautious endorsement of Clinton, saying he was content to ‘see what Hillary does.'”
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz insists to Time that he’s not interested in running for public office at the moment, saying, “I don’t think that is a solution. I don’t think it ends well.”
He added that he’s content to, “see what Hillary does.”
Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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