Neither political party has been willing or able to solve the many issues the United States is facing, meaning nothing will change unless an independent candidate is elected as president, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said Wednesday, following up on comments that he is seriously considering a presidential campaign in 2020.
"I see for the last three or four or five presidential elections, only 8 to 10 battleground states are pretty much controlled or predicted going to be president," Schultz told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
"What if Republicans and Democrats lifelong are looking for [someone]. They're not going to vote for left-wing Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris and they don't want to reelect Donald Trump."
Schultz said he does not want to mount a campaign as a Democrat, as he does not affiliate himself with a party that has gone "so far left."
"What we need is comprehensive tax reform," said Schultz. "What we need is sensible solutions to immigration. All of these things can't happen under the current environment."
He also answered criticism about his being a billionaire.
"I am self-made," he said. "I grew up in the projects of Brooklyn, New York. I thought that was the American dream, the aspirations of America. You are going to criticize me? Elizabeth Warren wants to criticize me for being successful?"
He's also been slammed for potentially splitting the vote in the election, leaving Trump to win a second term.
"The American people realize the government is not working," said Schultz.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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