“Put me in coach”: Mark Cuban champions full healthcare overhaul in support of Donald Trump’s drug reform
Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban took to X on Wednesday, expressing his support for US President Donald Trump's executive order on healthcare, particularly the new policy on drug pricing, which could save hundreds of billions of dollars. He used the basketball expression "Put me in, coach" to signal his enthusiastic support for Trump's move and urged that his own expertise be used to help the situation.
"Put me in coach ! I’m here to help" - Mark Cuban on X
Mark Cuban, known as one of Trump's harshest critics, found common ground with the President's new vision, which aligns with his own views on healthcare. The Texas-based Dallas Mavericks owner, who is the founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, outlined a six-point plan in his tweet to revolutionize healthcare. Cuban advised divorcing drug formularies from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and proposed independent bodies to control them without significant financial incentives.
Cuban argued that this would increase transparency and reduce costs significantly, potentially saving billions of dollars. Cuban's crusade against healthcare inefficiencies dates back longer than this, as he has been championing this cause since launching Cost Plus Drugs in 2022. Cuban's company eliminates the need for PBMs, offering medications at a cost-plus 15% markup model, seeking to disrupt the current situation
Mark Cuban blames Donald Trump's tariffs for job losses
Although Mark Cuban showed support for Donald Trump and his healthcare executive order, he criticized the US president harshly for his position on tariffs, warning that it could result in a situation worse than the 2008 global financial crisis. Cuban sounded the alarm for corporate entities, saying companies were buying tons of inventory to beat the tariffs, tying up cash reserves that could have fueled hiring and expansion. He added that this panic buying led to cost-cutting measures and job losses for companies and warned of even graver economic damage if the tariffs persist.
“What some people aren't factoring into their analysis is the reality that companies were buying tons of inventory to beat the tariffs,” Cuban wrote on Wednesday. “That's cash taken from being able to invest or hire. In fact, they probably cut costs and jobs as a result.”
Cuban isn't a fan of Trump's tariff policy, which aims to boost American manufacturing. He has urged against alienating the rest of the business world, previously criticizing Trump's proposed 200% tariff on John Deere for relocating production to Mexico, arguing it could severely damage a historic American company and potentially harm the broader US economy.