Ever since Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO publicly talked about his intention to run for president, doubts and opposition have been loud and intense.
"Howard Schultz doesn't have the 'guts' to run for President! Watched him on @60Minutes last night and I agree with him that he is not the 'smartest person.' Besides, America already has that! I only hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on his twitter account Monday.
Schultz said on the broadcasting company CBS's show 60 Minutes Sunday night that he was "seriously thinking of running for president."
"I will run as a centrist independent," he said, adding that now both parties are not doing what's necessary on behalf of the American people.
The Democrat also outlined his positions on key issues, including healthcare, education, and the national debt.
However, many Democrats are slamming Schultz's bid as a doomed "vanity project," and they will likely escalate pressure on Schultz to drop the idea.
They warn that Schultz's entrance into the race could be a boon for Trump's electoral chances by siphoning a greater share of Democratic votes than Republican ones.
There is even a #BoycottStarbucks movement on twitter, threatening not to buy drinks from Starbucks until Schultz drops out.
"Vanity projects that help destroy democracy are disgusting," Neera Tanden, the president of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, tweeted.
"If he enters the race, I will start a Starbucks boycott because I'm not giving a penny that will end up in the election coffers of a guy who will help Trump win," Tanden added.
