Mark Cuban says he’s not interested in entering politics — but if he did, he’d run as a Republican.
“I wouldn’t run at all, but if I did, it’d be a whole lot more fun to run as a Republican,” Cuban said during an appearance on the “Somebody’s Gotta Win with Tara Palmeri” podcast, which aired Monday.
“Because in four years, it’ll be a different world, and who knows where people’s allegiances lie. You know, the Republican Party of 10 years ago was nothing like the Republican Party of today,” Cuban added.
Cuban told Palmeri that he is “not a fan of either party,” but running as a Republican will be the “path of least resistance” for him.
The “Shark Tank” star has considered a presidential bid several times but has held back from mounting one in earnest.
Cuban told CNN in June 2020 that he seriously considered running for president as an independent candidate that year. Cuban said he gave up on the idea after his “family voted it down.”
It also isn’t the first time Cuban has talked about running as a GOP candidate.
In 2017, Cuban told Fox News that he would probably run as a Republican if he wanted to contest the 2020 presidential elections.
Cuban said then that his party choice was based on his belief that “there is a place for someone who is socially a centrist” but also “very fiscally conservative.”
Speculation over Cuban’s interest in politics arose again in 2023 after he sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks and announced his departure from “Shark Tank.”
Cuban, however, did not contest the 2024 presidential election. He initially endorsed President Joe Biden’s reelection bid but switched his support to Vice President Kamala Harris after Biden dropped out of the race.
“Who would put themselves through that? I can do more from the private sector,” Cuban told Wired in an interview published in September, during which he was asked if he would run for office.
“You can’t be president and change healthcare. You’ve got to get Congress behind you, and this, and that. As an entrepreneur, you can change anything,” Cuban added.
Cuban actively campaigned for Harris, giving rally speeches in the battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. He also volunteered to serve in her administration if she won.
“I told her team, look, put my name in for the SEC,” Cuban told CNBC in September, referencing the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cuban’s highly visible role on the Harris campaign paralleled what Elon Musk was doing for President Donald Trump. During Trump’s 2024 run, Musk gave rally speeches at GOP events and actively campaigned for him on social media.
In the run-up to the 2024 vote, Musk and Cuban also faced off on X, trading barbs and advocating for their candidate of choice.
Cuban did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
