Even the creator of Power Rangers thinks Howard Schultz's independent 2020 run is a bad idea

Haim Saban.
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

What do top Democrats, people shouting in a Barnes & Noble, and the man who created the Power Rangers have in common? They all think Howard Schultz shouldn't run for president as an independent.

Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, teased a "centrist independent" bid for president on Sunday. That idea immediately drew criticism from what seemed like the entirety of the Democratic party, including fellow billionaire Haim Saban, CNBC reports.

Saban is a Democratic megadonor, contributing millions of dollars to Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign and Clinton-backed causes. He's also the man behind the Power Rangers empire. But in 2020, a big chunk of his mighty morphin' money won't be headed to Schultz if he keeps up this independent shtick. In a Tuesday statement to CNBC, Saban said he doesn't "discount Howard's ability to beat the odds." But it's "very hard to borderline impossible to win the presidency as an independent," Saban said, adding that "he guarantees Trump a second term."

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Still, Saban isn't entirely against a Schultz run. The entertainment mogul said if Schultz ran as a Democrat, he'd have "as good a chance" of winning the nomination "as the other 41 who are either running or considering to do so." Still, Saban added that it's "too early" for him to decide which Democrat he'll back in next year's election, per CNBC.

Check out a few more takes from Schultz 2020 opponents at The Week.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.