Top Kamala Harris surrogate and billionaire Mark Cuban has managed to turn a bad situation worse with recent remarks about women in Trump’s orbit. Amid a whirlwind final stretch in the Harris campaign, Cuban took to The View and claimed that Trump never surrounded himself with “strong, intelligent women.” This comment comes on the heels of a series of high-profile gaffes, with Harris campaign supporters comparing Trump’s base to “Nazis” and Biden’s now-infamous “garbage” comment aimed at Trump’s followers. Cuban’s remark has only amplified the sense that the Harris camp is out of touch with ordinary Americans, particularly female Trump supporters.
Unsurprisingly, Cuban’s comments sparked an immediate backlash from women who have worked for or supported Trump. In response, Trump himself broke his relative silence on social media, defending the women in his camp in a humorous but pointed tweet. But Cuban, instead of issuing a straightforward apology, tried to “clarify” his comments with a series of statements that only made matters worse.
DISGUSTING: Top Kamala surrogate Mark Cuban says no “strong, intelligent women” support President Trump.
They’re now openly attacking the millions of strong, intelligent women fighting alongside President Trump every day to Make America Great Again.
Will @KamalaHQ disavow? pic.twitter.com/5sPihbzJ8t
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 31, 2024
In his first attempt, Cuban doubled down, insisting that his remarks were about Trump’s supposed aversion to being “challenged publicly” by strong women. He added, “I know many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump. Including in my extended family. I’m certainly not saying female voters are not smart, strong, and intelligent.” Despite the intent, Cuban’s words quickly drew a flood of negative responses on X (formerly Twitter), racking up 3.5 million views and overwhelmingly critical comments.
Let’s clarify something. This is what I said during a conversation about why Nikki Haley was not active in his campaign
“Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever. It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged…— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) October 31, 2024
The problem? Cuban’s “clarification” came off as more of the same, falling flat for several reasons. For one, he essentially repeated the initial sentiment that sparked the uproar, trying to rationalize his comment instead of apologizing. Second, his claim that Trump shuns strong women fell apart, given that figures like Nikki Haley have worked directly under Trump. And third, the attempt to reframe his statement as a misunderstanding wasn’t lost on anyone, with users pointing out that saying “let’s clarify” isn’t an apology—it’s a way to sidestep responsibility.
Wow, that’s a huge apostrophe https://t.co/4CcwjwTLc2
— Chef Andrew Gruel (@ChefGruel) October 31, 2024
As the backlash mounted, Cuban made yet another attempt at damage control, posting what appeared to be a reluctant apology: “When I said this during the interview, I didn’t get it out exactly the way I thought I did. So I apologize to anyone who felt slighted or upset by my response.” However, Cuban’s “apology” quickly turned defensive, as he bemoaned the negative responses, saying, “What bothers me though is that so many of the comments or media, in support of, or against me, has some level of insult attached to it.”
When I said this during the interview, I didn’t get it out exactly the way I thought I did. 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
And, I set myself up for the 6… https://t.co/u0BNmrHiaL
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) November 1, 2024
Critics argue that Cuban’s attempt to apologize was too little, too late. After days of blowback, his apology felt forced, a product of public pressure rather than genuine regret. This defensive tone, combined with his comments about the insults he received, further underscored the perception that Cuban, and by extension the Harris campaign, is out of step with Americans who feel marginalized by this rhetoric.
