During a television appearance on Tuesday, Starbucks Corp. Chairman Howard Schultz blasted President Donald Trump, accusing him of engaging in “dangerous and vitriolic behavior” and calling the Trump’s tax cuts for corporation “reckless.”
Schultz, who has thrust the coffee chain into thorny social issues in recent years and took several jabs at Donald Trump during the 2016 election season, laid out a progressive vision for the U.S. during the interview, adding to speculation that he’ll mount a run for the White House in 2020.
The Trump administration’s tax cut was “reckless” in the context of rising national debt, he said on CNBC, while also knocking the “dangerous and vitriolic behavior” from the White House. Schultz raised concerns about the brewing trade battle with China and called for an ideology-free approach to tackling the issues facing the U.S., according to Bloomberg News.
“We need to do things that restore the promise of the country and our standing around the world,” Schultz said in an interview on CNBC. “We have to move the ideology out and do what’s best for the American people.”
Schultz, 64, announced late Monday that he’d be stepping down from Starbucks later this month, fueling speculation that he’s mulling a political career. In the memo announcing his exit, Schultz said that he is “thinking about a range of options for myself, from philanthropy to public service, but I’m a long way from knowing what the future holds.”
Schultz said the partisan unrest dividing the country is a serious threat. While criticizing the Trump administration, and the divisiveness that has infused U.S. politics, Schultz also said that tough problems like immigration reform, gun control and spending on programs like Medicare and Medicaid need to be fixed with a centrist focus on domestic issues.
