Home Depot founder and GOP mega-donor Bernie Marcus blasted Joe Biden and revealed he’s turned his back on Donald Trump because the former president ‘can’t keep his mouth shut’.
The retail heavyweight, 94, told the New York Post that Biden is a ‘dunce’ and ‘the most divisive president we’ve ever seen’, while blaming him for many of America’s problems.
He also backed claims 80-year-old Biden – the oldest president in US history – is mentally-unfit for top office and even claimed he may be a ‘puppet’ mouthpiece for others within the Democrat party.
‘Somebody is feeding him like a puppet,’ the businessman told the Post, adding that if Biden is elected again, America will become ‘a Third World country’.
FEC data shows the 94-year-old billionaire has poured $64 million into Republican campaigns over the years, including Trump’s 2016 White House bid – but he admitted he’s now ‘struggling’ to get behind many of his former political favorites.
As the series of court cases against Trump unfold, he frequently risks violating gag orders by lashing out at judges and prosecutors in public speeches and via Truth Social posts.
Marcus, who has also financed the penultimate president’s current rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the past, told the New York Post he liked Trump’s policies but wished he’d ‘just follow the script’.
Home Depot founder and GOP mega-donor Bernie Marcus (pictured) has revealed he’s turned his back on Donald Trump because he ‘can’t keep his mouth shut’
As the series of court cases against Trump unfold, the penultimate president frequently risks violating gag orders by lashing out at judges and prosecutors in public speeches and via Truth Social posts
Unsurprisingly, was even more critical of President Joe Biden , slamming him as a ‘dunce’ and ‘the most divisive president we’ve ever seen’, while blaming him for much of America’s problems
Although Marcus is 14 years Biden’s senior, he told the Post he has a ’60-year-old brain’ and slammed the president for his seeming lack of mental sharpness.
By contrast, during Trump’s tenure, ‘wages were up, minorities were working, inflation was down.’
But he admitted that if Trump were elected again, ‘I’m afraid the first thing he would do is go after his enemies, starting with the Republicans’.
When asked whether he’d consider instead backing Trump’s opponents like DeSantis or former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley instead, Marcus said: ‘I’m struggling with it.
‘I think [Trump] has the policies if he would just follow the script and do what he has to do.’
The GOP donor added that he’s not sure he’d be able to launch Home Depot in the current socio-economic climate due to ‘regulations and all this woke crap’ – in echoes of his FT interview where he expanded on this view earlier this year.
Marcus, who co-founded Home Depot in 1978 with financier Ken Langone and businessman Arthur Blank, previously attacked the modern generation of business leaders for prioritizing ‘woke issues’ at the expense of shareholders.
Home Depot remains a wildly successful retail chain, with over 2,300 stores across North America
Home Depot has 2,300 stores across North America, a market capitalization of $300billion and an annual revenue of more than $150billion
Home Depot honchos CEO Bernie Marcus (L) and Arthur Blank (R) started their successful business in 1978
The New Jersey-born businessman took aim at modern office workers too, who he accused of being lazy and entitled with expectations of short hours. ‘They want to work three days a week,’ he said.
Home Depot has 2,300 stores across North America, a market capitalization of $300billion and an annual revenue of more than $150billion as of 2022 year end.
Marcus cites his charity, having joined the Gates’ family and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge promising to donate at least half his fortune to good causes, as how he gives back.
He also backed the construction of the Georgia Aquarium and has given $2billion to over 500 organizations through the Marcus Foundation.
The Marcus Foundation has also donated to autism, stem cells, cancer, stroke and military veterans’ PTSD causes.