Billionaire entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban recently sparked a debate on X (formerly Twitter) by asking his followers whether they would prefer Donald Trump or Kamala Harris as a role model for their children.
Despite Cuban’s longstanding criticism of Trump, the results of the informal poll were unexpected, with the former president emerging as the clear favourite.
In a post to his 8.8 million followers, Cuban posed the question: “Whose persona and character would you like to see young children grow up to have?” The options were the two leading figures for the 2024 U.S. presidential election—Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. Out of over 800,000 votes cast, an overwhelming 68.9% chose Trump, while only 31.1% preferred Harris.
The poll quickly gained traction, attracting a host of comments and reactions. Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, responded with a video featuring Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. In the video, Kennedy highlights the idea that voters need not personally like a candidate to support them for president, urging people to focus on policies and records instead.
The discussion also reignited controversial claims about Harris, with some users repeating baseless accusations about her rise in California politics, which were used as a rationale for their preference for Trump.
Mark Cuban, who had previously shown some support for Trump during his 2016 campaign, admitted that he initially saw Trump as a refreshing alternative to traditional candidates. However, Cuban has since shifted his stance and this summer expressed support for Harris when she became the presumptive Democratic nominee.