United States | Brewing trouble

Why third-party presidential candidates fail

Howard Schultz’s presidential bid has got off to a bad start

|4 min read

By G.E.M. | WASHINGTON, DC

MULLING A RUN for the presidency has become something of a fad among American billionaires. Michael Bloomberg, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg have all been mentioned as potential challengers to President Donald Trump in 2020. On January 27th, Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, said he was considering a run—as an independent. The reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. At an event to promote Mr Schultz’s book this week a heckler expressed what many Democrats were thinking when he yelled: “Don’t help elect Trump, you egotistical billionaire!”

President Trump and Pam Bondi hold a press conference

Jeffrey Epstein is still causing trouble for Donald Trump

His administration cannot shake rumours of a cover-up—in part because MAGA types enthusiastically endorsed it

What went wrong in the Texas floods?

DOGE may not have been to blame but local politicians have a case to answer


Young man with strong body showing back muscles

American men are hungry for injectable testosterone

A legion of new health clinics are serving it up


Trump embarrasses the Pentagon with a U-turn on Ukraine

His decision to resume arms shipments is a victory for common sense—while it lasts

ICE’s big payday makes mass deportation possible

What the controversial agency will do with even more funding