Billionaire Mark Cuban’s recent social media poll has unveiled a surprising preference among the public for former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris as a role model for children.
Despite Mark Cuban’s longstanding criticism of Trump, the results of his informal poll were unexpected, with Trump emerging as the clear favourite. On social media, Cuban posed the question to his 8.8 million followers: ‘Whose persona and character would you like to see young children grow up to have?’ The options were the two main figures for the 2024 U.S. presidential election—Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris. Out of over 800,000 votes, an overwhelming 68.9% chose Trump, while only 31.1% preferred Harris.
The poll gained significant traction, attracting numerous comments and reactions. Collin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, responded with a video featuring Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana. In the video, Kennedy emphasises that voters need not personally like a candidate to support them for president, urging people to focus on policies and records instead.
The discussion also reignited controversial claims about Harris, with some users repeating baseless accusations regarding her rise in California politics, which were used as a rationale for their preference for Trump. This demonstrates the strong polarising opinions that both figures evoke among the public.
Mark Cuban, who had previously shown some support for Trump during his 2016 campaign, admitted that he initially saw Trump as a refreshing alternative to traditional candidates. However, Cuban has since shifted his stance and expressed support for Harris when she became the presumptive Democratic nominee.
The results of Cuban’s poll, while surprising to many, reflect the enduringly divisive nature of American political figures and the varied criteria by which the public evaluates role models for future generations.