Rick Kern via Getty Images; Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
While former President Donald Trump turns to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Vice President Kamala Harris has a billionaire of her own to help the campaign's home stretch.
Harris will stump with billionaire investor and former "Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban on Thursday in Wisconsin. Cuban is also set to host his own town hall for Harris in Arizona on Saturday before linking up with second gentleman Doug Emoff to campaign in Michigan on Sunday.
The flurry of events shows how Cuban, long a vocal Trump critic, is making his views known in the final weeks before Election Day. It also serves as a quasi-rebuttal to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk, the world's richest person, recently spoke at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and has said he will host his events in what is considered the race's biggest swing state.
Cuban's campaign appearances come amid speculation that the billionaire might aspire to join Harris' administration if she wins the election.
Much has been made of Cuban's criticism of the Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler. Advocates of cryptocurrency have strongly objected to Gensler's regulation of the sector. During a previous press call hosted by the Harris campaign, Cuban conceded that Gensler's actions remain an open wound. Cuban told Politico that he wouldn't "chase" leading the SEC, but if he asked, he would want to interview for it.
A minority owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Cuban is well-positioned to help Harris appeal to the business community and the young male voters the vice president's team hopes to reach. Before selling his majority stake in the team, Cuban gained fame for his bold sideline president at Maverick's games, a break from the traditional stodginess associated with sports owners. He also grew his profile over 15 seasons on "Shark Tank," ABC's hit reality TV show focused on small business owners trying to convince successful entrepreneurs to buy into their products.
