JP Morgan Chase CEO says he could beat Trump in 2020, then immediately backtracks
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Well, that was fast.
Although he had previously ruled out a presidential run, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon seemed to tease a 2020 race against President Trump on Wednesday when he boasted during an event that he "could beat Trump" because he's "smarter than [Trump] is," per CNBC. Dimon added that unlike Trump, he's a New Yorker whose money "wasn't a gift from daddy."
But Dimon backed down almost immediately, putting out an apology just one hour later. "I should not have said it," he said in a follow-up statement, per Bloomberg. "I'm not running for president." Dimon added that his spontaneous comments are proof of why he "wouldn't make a good politician," also saying that he wants "all sides to come together."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This actually isn't the first time that Dimon, who describes himself as being "barely" a Democrat, has made a negative statement about Trump that he subsequently took back. In November 2017, Dimon predicted that Trump would be a one-term president but later backtracked, telling Fox Business, "I wish I hadn't said it."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
