‘He made a mistake’: Trump welcomes Mark Cuban at healthcare event after billionaire previously backed Kamala Harris

Donald Trump has welcomed Mark Cuban at a healthcare event after the billionaire previously backed the president’s political rival Kamala Harris.

Cuban, a past critic of Trump, joined the president and other administration officials Monday afternoon for an event touting the discount prescription drug site TrumpRx.

“We have the same thing, one thing in common. We want to make people better and keep them wealthy,” Trump said of Cuban, co-founder of the Cost Plus Drug Company.

Cuban is perhaps better known as an investor on the TV show Shark Tank or from his association with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. But he also has the Cost Plus Drug Company, which provides mail-order medications for a lower price.

One reporter at the event asked about Cuban’s presence, given that he supported Harris, the former vice president under Joe Biden, over Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

open image in gallery

“Well, he made a mistake,” Trump said as Cuban laughed. “It was a big mistake.”

Speaking to MS NOW in September 2024, Cuban said Harris “wants to help the economy. She wants to help the middle class.”

He also bashed Trump, saying, “He talks a good game, but it doesn’t mean he follows through or gets the job done.”

Cuban’s criticism of Trump dates back to at least the 2016 election cycle, when the president first successfully ran for office. Cuban told entertainment outlet Extra at the time, “It's rare that you see someone get stupider before your eyes, but he's really working at it.”

open image in gallery

But he was all smiles at Monday’s event, telling the president, “I think other than you, I've been the biggest proponent of TrumpRx.”

“The reason for that is Republicans want cheaper drugs, independents want cheaper drugs, Democrats want cheaper drugs, and together I think we're going to do something special,” he added.

Cuban boasted about his company’s “special partnership” with TrumpRx, saying 559 of the drugs on the site are from the Cost Plus Drug Company.

When probed at Politico’s Health Care Summit last month about whether he wants Harris to run for president again, Cuban said, “No.”

open image in gallery

He said, “Don’t remember, don’t care,” when asked to recall her message on health care during the 2024 election.

Cuban was asked after Monday’s event whether he regretted supporting Harris. He responded, “I'm not going into my politics at all.”

Trump said during the event that his administration slashed the cost for “weight loss drugs, fertility treatments, insulin, and much, much more” with TrumpRx, calling it “the hottest thing in medicine.”

The president announced that more than 600 “affordable” generic drugs would be added to the TrumpRx website.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies