Former Starbucks chief executive officer (CEO) Howard Schultz has on Sunday, expressed his interest and willingness to run for the United States presidential election in 2020 as a “centrist” independent candidate, “outside the two-party system”.
According to The Washington Post news reports, on CBS’ “60 Minutes”, the former chief of Starbucks claimed, “I am seriously thinking of running for President. I will run as a centrist independent outside the two-party system.” The US presidential elections are due on November 3, 2020.
Schultz further accused both the Republicans and Democrats for their involvement in “revenge politics” every single day. He also took a jibe at the incumbent US President Donald Trump during CBS’ show.
Schultz said: “We’re living at a most fragile time. Not only the fact that this is president is not qualified to be the president but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what’s necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged, every single day, in revenge politics.”
Media reports are hailing the decision made by Schultz, stating that his self-funded independent campaign had a “potential to reshape dynamics of the race”, The Washington Post reported.
During the show, Schultz said, “I want to see the American people win, I want to see America win.”
Shultz, whose company’s net worth estimated at USD 3.4 billion according to Forbes, said he has favoured rejoining the 2015 Paris Climate change agreement on the show. The US had left the accord two years back in 2017 and was widely criticized by countries by its move to leave the accord.