MARK CUBAN: Here's the bigger issue with Trump's firing of James Comey
Cuban, the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," told Business Insider that it's not about "whether or not Comey should be fired or why he was fired."
"The issue is trust," Cuban said.
"If you trust our president and his decision making ability, then this move is probably OK," he continued. "If you don't trust his decision making process, or are uncertain about it like I am, then you question why he did it and how he will make his choice of replacement."
The White House attributed Comey's Tuesday ouster to his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. But Comey was also investigating whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russian officials to help influence the US election, which led Democrats and other Trump critics to suggest that he was interfering into an investigation that involved him.
In his letter to Comey, Trump said Comey had informed him "on three separate occasions" that he was "not under investigation." Comey has not confirmed that claim publicly.
Top White House officials such as deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Comey's firing was a result of Trump losing faith in the director. But Trump expressed support for Comey late in the campaign after he sent his October letter revisiting the Clinton email investigation, and White House press secretary Sean Spicer said just last week that Comey had Trump's support.
"Our president has yet to demonstrate that he is able to convey in any depth why he makes the choices he does," Cuban said. "His responses are usually driven by sound bites rather than explanations or facts. And the few times he has done sit down interviews ... many if not most have reduced clarity."
"In a nutshell, if you want logic and decision supporting evidence from the president, you have been severely disappointed," he continued. "If you want a combative president that denigrates and fights with any media outlet not supportive of his actions, you are thrilled and believe he is fighting your fight against the same forces that you feel are disrupting the country you love."
Cuban has teased a potential 2020 presidential bid opposite Trump, telling Business Insider earlier this year that "we will see" regarding his future plans. Cuban, an independent, backed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton during the general election campaign after initially expressing warmer feelings toward a Trump presidential bid during the primary. He became one of Clinton's top surrogates, and routinely roiled Trump both prior to the November election and after he was inaugurated in January.
Trump took aim at Cuban both before a presidential debate with Clinton and in February, when he tweeted that the billionaire business mogul was not "smart enough" to be president.