Mark Cuban for President?

A story from Principles First.

When I asked attendees at the recent Principles First summit who they were excited to see take the stage, Mark Cuban was the name that came up most. Cuban, famous for owning the Dallas Mavericks and his show Shark Tank on ABC, has recently become increasingly involved in politics. The crowd at Principles First wanted to know one thing: What is he doing there?

You would think that attendees at Principles First would have had enough of brash billionaires, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The mentality seems to be that the other side needs their own. Fight fire with fire.

During his interview, Cuban resembled Donald Trump in many ways. He dominated the interview, sometimes not letting the question get out, then rambling, dropping a curse word here and there, and rarely answering them. Trump’s favorite subject when he started campaigning was immigration, Cuban preferred to steer the conversation to Health Care. It didn’t matter that he spoke a lot and said little of consequence; people loved it.

Through all of his rambling, he said some profound things. He dissected Trump’s success and the failure of the anti-Trump movement– saying Trump won because he could sell a plan, and the other side had no plan or salesmen. He showed good retail political skills when he explained the importance of crypto policy, telling an individual story about how crypto is the cheapest option for some people because bank fees are too high.

When Cuban was asked about running for office, he said “Hell no,” that he “doesn’t want to be President.” The crowd was disappointed, but I don’t think they have reason to be. I don’t think that was a hard no. It was an I haven’t really thought about it, no. “Are you hungry?” “Hell no, I just ate. Wait a minute, now that you mention it…”

At the end of the interview, they took questions from the crowd. The last question was from a former independent candidate. He started talking about the difficulties of running a campaign and the effects of money. He never got his question out before Cuban cut him off, saying there are different ways of doing it and then telling a story about his new venture, Cost-plus Drugs. Cuban’s advice, in part, was that candidates needed to be creative and should utilize social media.

When he spoke about his favorite topics, healthcare and Trump, he showed a deep understanding of the details, but when he spoke about issues independent candidates have and the impact of campaign finance, he deflected, showing he hadn’t thought much about the topic.

He told the crowd he hasn’t donated a dollar to campaigns in the last twenty years. As Mark Hanna famously said, “There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can’t remember what the second one is.” Yes, Cuban could go on social media and get attention for a campaign just by tweeting, and millions would hear it. However, if most people did that, they would need to pay thousands of ad dollars for their neighbors to hear it.

So if Cuban isn’t going to donate money and he isn’t going to run for office? What is he going to do?

America has drifted so far apart we are just screaming past each other. Congress is inept and the executive is out of control. The incentives for office lead the most extreme to victory. If Cuban wanted to do something of consequence, he could use the power of his celebrity to move the needle in the right direction and help elect balanced candidates to the House in 2026.

He just needs to take his own advice and become the sales guy. He doesn’t have to sell himself, he could sell the qualified candidates whose voices are ignored in the current dysfunctional political environment.

Primary races are won on the ground, as Tip O’Niell said, "all politics is local." Candidates need small dollar donations, party engagement, local volunteers to door knock, and bring their friends and family to the polls.

Cuban could use his influence to rally support, attract funding, and amplify media coverage. His dynamic presence will energize volunteers, boost fundraising through high-profile events, and draw significant press attention.

Every time Cuban visits it will be a major local event. He could run the same playbook Trump ran, but instead of doing it for himself, he could help others. Most people feel unrepresented, leading to a silent majority that has turned their back on American politics. If Cuban does his homework and backs the right candidates, he could bring them back to the table and give hope for our future.

For maximum success, the candidates should have a plan for Cuban to sell. The plan should be solutions-oriented, optimistic, and palatable. It needs to include directions for volunteers on how to be involved in local party politics and how to engage voters.

Talking to regular people on the ground during House primary campaigns might change Cubans’ mind about running for President. It would also give him all the experience he needs to do the job, should he decide to run. Should he change his mind, he should play coy with the press until after the 2026 elections to maximize press coverage. Should his candidates win, Cuban would become the favorite to win office in 2028, and when he got to office he would have a lot of support in the House.

Helping elect a sane and competent middle ground for Congress could balance the conversation and pull the extremes together so we can stop screaming past each other and start debating solutions. America needs bold leaders who want to do something of consequence. The question becomes: Does Mark Cuban want to be that person?

Peace & Love,

Jeff Mayhugh