Did Mark Cuban announce a possible presidential run just to steal the spotlight from Donald Trump’s Dallas rally? (Getty)
On the day that Donald Trump was holding his Dallas rally in the Mavericks’ American Airlines Center, Mark Cuban announced to the press that he would “crush” Trump and Hillary Clinton in a presidential election. Later, Cuban recanted and said that he probably wasn’t going to run for president, at least not now. Trump then started his rally by uncharacteristically gushing about Cuban and his future presidential run. What’s going on? The two billionaires have a long-standing feud that has just taken a confusing turn.
Here’s what we know so far.
1. Rumors Ran Rampant that Cuban Would Announce His Presidential Run on the Same Day as Trump’s Rally in Dallas
As Trump hosted a rally in Dallas, Cuban was talking about the possibility of running for president, just a few miles away. (Getty)
Mark Cuban announced that he would crush Trump and Clinton in a presidential campaign, on the same day that Trump was hosting a presidential rally a the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, USA Today reported. In an email exchange with CNBC, Cuban talked about a potential presidential candidacy and how he would crush Trump if they went head-to-head. He would also demolish Clinton if he ran as a Democrat.
And if it was me vs. Trump, I would crush him. No doubt about it.”
He said he’s asked every day if he’s going to run for president. Trump’s candidacy, he added, has opened the doors for other billionaires like himself to run too.
2. Later, Cuban Recanted And Said He Had No Intention of Running for President
Mark Cuban is not running for President. (Getty)
Later that same day, Cuban said that he really had no intentions of running for president in 2016, CNBC reported. He said he could have a bigger impact on the world by investing in small businesses and going to schools and talking to kids. He added that he didn’t have the right temperament to be a politician. But after seeing Trump lately, it’s not clear if that’s actually true at all. He said that Trump has opened the door for non-traditional candidates who don’t follow strict party guidelines.
3. Trump Gushed About Cuban at the Beginning of His Rally
Trump in Dallas tonight thanking Mark Cuban for his Team’s arena http://t.co/oJ6vZZ7J4h
At the beginning of his rally in Dallas, Trump spoke admirably and enthusiastically about his once-rival, Cuban, calling him a “great guy.” He said that Cuban offered him the American Airlines Center During his speech, Trump even said that Mark Cuban might run for president one day and he would do “very well” if he did, but Trump didn’t indicate any threat to his current campaign. Trump’s friendly comments at the beginning of the rally confused a lot of people:
Others, meanwhile, think that Cuban would be a great vice president for Trump:
4. The Two Billionaires Have a Long-Standing Feud
Trump and Cuban have a long-standing feud, but they seem to be getting along for now. (Getty)
The reason so many people are confused by the quick turnaround between Trump and Cuban by the end of the day is that the two billionaires have had a long-standing feud lasting nearly a decade. It included comments and eye-rolling by Trump when Cuban’s Benefactor reality show failed and Cuban saying that Trump couldn’t afford the Buffalo Bills, NBC DFW reported. Even their two reality shows, Celebrity Apprentice and Shark Tank are competing.
In 2013, the two billionaires had a huge Twitter feud. It started out when Cuban dared Trump to shave his head for a charity, Bustle reported. A guest appearance by Cuban on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno also helped, Culture Map Dallas reported. Trump fired off a series of angry tweets in response to Cuban’s interview, including this one:
.@mcuban has less TV persona than any other person I can think of. He’s an arrogant, crude, dope who met some very stupid people…
And Cuban responded that he wondered if he would need a restraining order. This continued through May 2013 at least, when Trump tweeted:
@mcuban is a short ball hitter who had a massive failure on television, The Benefactor. Now he is one of many on a modest ratings show, S T.
But all that firing back and forth started to cool off when Cuban used his Cyber Dust app to praise Trump and call him “the best thing to happen in politics,” NBC DFW reported. Trump responded:
And now he’s praising Cuban at the beginning of his rally, and the two are even getting along on Twitter:
Thanks Mark, will be fun. t.co/hzlkPLebET
5. Trump’s Net Worth Is $1 Billion Higher than Cuban’s
According to Forbes, Trump’s net worth is $1 billion more than Cuban’s. Trump is worth $4 billion and Cuban is worth $3 billion. Cuban’s fortune started when he sold Broadcast.com to Yahoo for $5.7 billion back in 1999. He reinvested his earnings in a variety of ventures, including the Dallas Mavericks. Trump’s fortune has grown because of real estate properties and his personal brand, including the Apprentice series, speaking engagements, and more.
Cuban has disputed this, saying that Trump’s net worth was just a “play number,” according to NBC DFW. This statement came after Trump issued a press release in July saying he was worth $10 billion, CNBC reported. He said the number Trump quoted wasn’t the same as having cash on hand. But despite all these differences, the two seem to be getting along well — for now.
