Mark Cuban, the billionaire known for his left-wing views and role as a supporter of Kamala Harris during the campaign, unexpectedly congratulated Donald Trump and Elon Musk after the former president’s “fair and square” victory. This came despite Cuban’s earlier inflammatory remarks about women who support Trump, which had caused significant controversy just days before Trump’s decisive win.
According to the New York Post, Cuban took to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) in the early hours of Wednesday morning after the 2024 presidential election results were finalized. In his post, the billionaire expressed his congratulations to Donald Trump, stating, “Congrats @realDonaldTrump. You won fair and square. Congrats to @elonmusk as well. #Godspeed.” This gesture was especially surprising given Cuban’s vocal support for Harris and his previous criticisms of Trump.
The congratulatory message caught many off guard, considering Cuban’s prior harsh critiques of Trump and his active involvement in the Harris campaign. Just days earlier, on ABC’s The View, Cuban had made a remark that sparked backlash. He had claimed that Trump does not surround himself with “strong, intelligent women.” Cuban swiftly tried to clarify his statement, explaining that he was referring specifically to Nikki Haley, a Republican figure, and her lack of involvement in Trump’s campaign.
In response to the backlash, Cuban issued an apology, admitting his mistake and stressing that he had not meant to disparage Trump’s supporters. He mentioned that his wife, Tiffany Stewart, had watched the full interview and understood the context of his comments. Cuban also pointed out that many intelligent and strong women who voted for Trump, including members of his own family, were proof of his respect for such individuals.
Breitbart News columnist John Nolte criticized Cuban’s apology, labeling it incoherent: “Of course, that’s pure gibberish, pure nonsense. It’s one thing to say Trump does not like to be challenged publicly. It’s another to say — as Cuban did — that because Trump doesn’t like to be challenged publicly, all the women he keeps around are dumb and compliant.”
Following the fallout, Cuban attempted another apology, acknowledging that his comments had been poorly phrased. In a tweet, he wrote, “When I said this during the interview, I didn’t get it out exactly the way I thought I did,” and continued, “So I apologize to anyone who felt slighted or upset by my response. As I said, it wasn’t about trump voters, supporters or employees. Current or former[.]” He further added, “And, I set myself up for the 6 sec soundbite. No excuses. Can’t nail every interview. My skin is thick enough.”
Nolte continued his critique, drawing a comparison to President Biden’s recent derogatory remarks about conservatives: “Just like Joe Biden calling all of us ‘garbage,’ all Cuban did was feel too comfortable in The View’s hen house echo chamber, which resulted in him telling the truth about how he sees women who support Trump.”
Trump swiftly responded to Cuban’s remarks with a jab at his golf game, an area where many billionaires, including Cuban, are particularly sensitive. Despite the controversy, Cuban’s congratulatory tweet marked a significant shift in his tone, signaling a degree of acceptance of the election results.
In his victory speech the following morning in West Palm Beach, Florida, Trump specifically recognized several women who had played a role in his success, including his wife, Melania Trump. He pointed to the significant success of her memoir, Melania: A Memoir, which had become a national bestseller.
NBC News exit polls conducted across ten key states showed that 44 percent of women voted for Republican candidates in the 2024 election, a slight increase from the 42 percent in 2020. This suggests that, despite ongoing controversies, Trump’s support among female voters remained stable throughout the election cycle.
{Matzav.com}