“Fox & Friends” spent Wednesday lauding the merits of former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, with co-host Brian Kilmeade urging his audience to take him seriously.
“He’s making 100 percent sense,” Kilmeade said of an appearance Schultz made on “The View” Tuesday afternoon. While on set, Schultz told co-host Joy Behar that ideas like Medicare for all or ultra high taxes on the wealthy (like himself) were not workable.
“If he runs against a far left progressive person who’s suggesting 60, 70 percent tax increases on the rich and a health care system that we can’t pay for, President Trump is going to get reelected,” Schultz told a skeptical Behar.
“These are the old elections we used to have, the subtle differences between parties, not people who are presenting programs that are unmanageable and unsustainable and not practical,” Kilmeade said. “I love the fact that [he’s] actually acting like [he] will govern.”
“Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt offered another idea, that the Democratic party should be split in half between progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and centrists like Schultz. The show also had warm words for billionaire Michael Bloomberg, who has been critical of the Democratic party’s activist left wing and is also floating a run (though not third party.)
Media commentators like CNN’s Brian Stelter noted yesterday that the coffee titan’s presidential aspirations have received a warm reception on Fox News — even while they have been roundly criticized by Democrats and mainstream media pundits.
On “The View” and in other Schultz appearances Tuesday, he faced broad skepticism and worry that his run could help ensure a second Trump term. Schultz’s forays into Twitter have also been poorly received. All nine of his tweets on the platform so far have received far more angry comments than retweets.
The president himself, perhaps aware of Schultz’s potential to split the Democratic vote, has taken an active interest in his candidacy as well — actively goading the CEO on Twitter.
“Howard Schultz doesn’t have the “guts” to run for President!” Trump said. “Watched him on @60Minutes 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!”
Schultz is a co-founder of the venture capital firm Maveron, which is an investor in TheWrap.