This situation with Mark Cuban calls for one of the most advanced English phrases that’s ever been thought up: “No takesies backsies.”
Cuban, a billionaire and former owner of the Dallas Mavericks (he was livid about the Luka trade), has occasionally dipped his toes into politics. He’s even entertained the thought of running for President in the past, but has said that he likely wouldn’t ever do so because he wants to spend time with his family.
Gotta love a family man… even if he’s morphed into a weird Rachel Maddow clone. Seriously, between them two, Rosie O’Donnell, and Keith Olbermann, it’s hard to tell them apart. How come as soon as you go woke, you start to look like a retired, female gym teacher? I don’t get it…
Though he’s never gotten close to running for political office, Cuban has never shied away from sharing his politically adjacent ideas. He’s even gone as far to execute some of those plans, with the greatest example being his Cost Plus Drugs (which made generic medication more affordable for those who need it).
And it’s no secret that he’s not a huge fan of how President Donald Trump has been initiating government cuts during his second term as the Commander in Chief. Elon Musk – the CEO of Tesla – has played a large role in helping out with those cuts. While Musk is also fulfilling his duties as the CEO of SpaceX and the owner of Twitter/X, the billionaire is also heading up Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is tasked with reducing government spending, eliminating waste, and shrinking the size of government.
Cuban has voiced his disagreement with how Trump and Musk are using DOGE to drastically overhaul the government. Interestingly enough, a video from 2017 has recently resurfaced that shows Cuban discussing how the fat could be cut off of the government, and it seems very similar to what the Department of Government Efficiency has been doing:
“As a Libertarian, I think we can reduce employment in the government by at least a third. Reduce the overhead and administration by that much or more. So that we can offer more to services for our citizens. When it comes down to it, where I tend to disagree with everybody – this is the Libertarian in me – I’m happy to push down the size of the government and I’m happy to work on making government more efficient because then, more money can pass through and help the people who need it.”
2017. Mark Cuban: Reduce the size of government by at least a third. Make it more efficient.
Just a reminder that like so many other Democrats, Cuban was all about cutting government waste until Elon and DOGE started actually doing it. pic.twitter.com/Z5t5UlLzf4
— MAZE (@mazemoore) March 20, 2025
How about that?
Cuban’s idea of trimming the government by “at least a third” that he presented in 2017 seems to be coming to fruition in 2025… though he’s not the billionaire pulling the strings. That being said, Mark Cuban responded to the resurfaced video with a clarification of his current thoughts on the matter.
He claims that he’s still for making the government more efficient, but he doesn’t exactly agree with the way DOGE is carrying it out:
“I am all for cutting government costs, then and now. I’m even more for efficiency. I would have a plan. Ready Fire Aim is not a plan. Cutting programs without knowing if they would have saved taxpayers more than they cost, or saved lives, is a mistake. Tariffs, cutting programs, agencies and employees ALL AT ONCE, without doing an analysis of the impact on city, towns and states they impact, is going to backfire big time.
Some cities have 9 percent or more of their employment as federal workers. Colleges losing millions in funding. Government contractors and grant recipients having to close their businesses and lay off everyone. Repeated in city after city. Town after town What do you think the economic impact on their tax base is? What do you think happens to home values?
What services will they have to end? What about the local businesses? How many people will lose their jobs and homes because this was done ALL AT ONCE? Cut federal government bloat in an organized fashion and it’s great. Ready Fire Aim and the uncertainty it creates is a huge mistake.”
I am all for cutting gov costs, then and now. I'm even more for efficiency
I would have a plan. Ready Fire Aim is not a plan.
Cutting programs without knowing if they would have saved taxpayers more than they cost, or saved lives, is a mistake
Tariffs, cutting programs,… https://t.co/cYUAPyVmae
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) March 20, 2025
He also praised Donald Trump quite a bit in the past, while calling Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders’ plans “ridiculous.”
Find someone who talks about you the way that Mark Cuban used to talk about Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/WyLtFrJE2O
— MAZE (@mazemoore) September 20, 2024
Funny how that changes, huh…
The post 2017 Video Of Mark Cuban Calling For Massive Government Cuts Resurfaces: “Reduce Employment By At Least A Third” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.