Mark Cuban on Defensive After Saying Trump Is Never ‘Around Strong, Intelligent Women’

Posted on: November 1, 2024, 11:22h. 

Last updated on: November 1, 2024, 02:23h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Billionaire Mark Cuban is backtracking comments he made Thursday during an appearance on “The View” about female supporters of Donald Trump.

Cuban, the “Shark Tank” star and minority owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks, told the daytime talk show that Trump is intimidated by intelligent women.

Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban told the mostly liberal female hosts of the ABC  program. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like being challenged by them.”

Cuban has been an outspoken opponent of Trump’s 2024 campaign and is backing Kamala Harris for president. After facing backlash for his comments about women who are voting for Trump, Cuban tried to walk back his remarks in a subsequent interview with conservative female radio host Martha Zoller.

“I am a strong, intelligent woman. I’m also a conservative,” Zoller told Cuban.

I wasn’t saying that Republican women aren’t strong, intelligent. That’s obviously not the case,” Cuban replied.

“I probably should have given examples that he has worked with Kellyanne Conway, Tulsi Gabbard, Linda McMahon, and that probably would have clarified some of it,” Cuban continued. “He’s worked with a lot of really strong, intelligent women, I just have not seen them with him side by side on the campaign trail.”

With just four days to go until Election Day, Trump remains the betting front-runner with implied odds of 62%. Harris is the underdog at 38%, however, her odds have improved over the past few days.

Cuban Sold Mavs to a Smart, Conservative Woman

Late last year, Cuban sold a controlling stake in the Mavericks franchise to Las Vegas billionaire Dr. Miriam Adelson. Adelson, the widow of Sheldon Adelson, the founder and longtime chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands empire who died in January 2021, is worth an estimated $35 billion — more than five times Cuban’s fortune.

Adelson, who owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal, also owns the Israel Hayom newspaper. In 2018, Trump bestowed her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honor, for her philanthropic work in medical research, Holocaust memorialization, and commitment to strengthening the American Jewish community.

Trump, of course, didn’t miss the opportunity to blast Cuban’s remarks, which came just days after President Joe Biden called Trump’s supporters “garbage.”

Mark Cuban, a really dumb guy, who thinks he’s ‘hot stuff’ but he’s absolutely nothing, is now out there saying that I don’t surround myself with strong women. Actually, he is very wrong, I surround myself with the strongest of women — with the understanding that ALL women are great, whether strong or not strong,” Trump said in a lengthy rambling tweet on X.

“This guy is such a fool, he’s constantly on television being critical, and only for the reason that I tuned him out completely while President because he called incessantly. I told him, very pointedly, ‘Look Mark, I’ve got a lot of things to do, I just can’t be taking so many pointless calls from you.’ In any event, that affected him greatly, because he’s a very insecure guy, and a MAJOR LOSER, always has been and always will be!”

Cuban-Adelson Relationship

Adelson is expected to contribute more than $100 million to reelecting Trump in 2024. With Cuban’s strong opposition to Adelson’s support of Trump and disparaging comments about women who campaign on the former president’s behalf, there could be some infighting in the Mavs organization as the NBA regular season gets underway.

While Adelson agreed to allow Cuban to remain as head of basketball operations, Dumont was appointed as governor of the organization, the chief executive position of the franchise.