Before the 2024 presidential election solidified into a Kamala Harris versus Donald Trump showdown, Mark Cuban considered stepping into the political arena himself, per TheSpun. The billionaire entrepreneur and former Dallas Mavericks owner commissioned a poll to see how he’d fare running as an independent. The results weren’t strong enough to sway his family or his own gut. Still, it sparked conversations that few business moguls ever find themselves in.

Cuban eventually voiced support for Harris leading up to Election Day and often took shots at Trump online. But what shocked many this week is Cuban’s claim that Harris’s team actually reached out to him to be her potential running mate.

On The Bulwark podcast with Tim Miller, Cuban revealed that the Harris campaign asked him to submit vetting materials. He declined. The reason? It wasn’t about policy. It was about fit. “I’m not very good as the No. 2 person,” Cuban said. “The last thing we need is me telling Kamala, you know, the president, that, no, that’s a dumb idea.” He added, “I’m not real good at the shaking hands and kissing babies.”

Why He Turned It Down

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Cuban, known for speaking bluntly and thinking fast, wasn’t interested in playing second fiddle. Miller pointed out that Cuban might have brought more energy and reach to the Harris ticket than Governor Tim Walz, who was ultimately chosen. Cuban didn’t argue that point. “Obviously it would have been different,” he said. “My personality is completely different than Tim’s. My experiences, my background are completely different.”

He acknowledged that while his style may have stood out in a race that needed disruption, it likely would have clashed with the structure and diplomacy the role demands. “I think I’ve cut through the sh–t more directly,” he added. “I’m not a politician. And so, it would have been different, but it would have been awful.”

Miller pushed back, suggesting Cuban’s impact could’ve been bigger than he realized. At one point, he even said Cuban might have been “better than the present situation”—a reference to the current Trump-Vance administration that swept the 2024 election.

Could Mark Cuban have changed the outcome? That’s a question for political theorists. But it’s clear he was closer to the White House than most ever imagined.