Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wants to interview Democratic nominee Kamala Harris on her proposal to offer first-time homebuyers $25,000 to help with the down payment.
O’Leary, 70, told Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle that he wants Harris to sit down for a ‘live’ interview to talk real estate, state policy, and regulation.
‘I’m in the real estate business. That’s a really bad idea, an immensely bad idea, an incredibly bad idea. And I think somebody should talk about that with her. I’d like to interview her on that idea. I’ll do the interview. I want it live!’ he said on the show.
As Americans struggle with rising housing costs and being unable to afford their first homes, Harris is calling for up to $25,000 in down payment assistance to some first-time homebuyers.
It comes after the Biden administration first called for $25,000 in down payment assistance for 400,000 first-generation home buyers and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time buyers.
Harris’ plan would expand the assistance to all eligible first-time homebuyers. Such buyers include families who have paid their rent on time for two years with more support for first-generation homeowners. According to her campaign, it would allow more than four million first-time buyers in four years to get an average of $25,000 in assistance for their first home.
O’Leary thinks it’s a stupid idea and it will just make buying a home worse.
‘If everybody in the street has $25,000 extra and there’s one home for sale, the seller’s going to get the $25,000 by raising the price $25,000. I’ve been very vocal about this policy,’ he said on the show.
His comments come after Harris’ first interview since becoming the Democratic nominee, which O’Leary wasn’t impressed with.
‘It was more happy talk about the convention slipping over, pictures of the kids — you know what I’m beginning to think? And, look, don’t shoot the messenger. Maybe she can’t do a real interview live with a reporter who asks follow-up questions,’ he bashed the current VP.
He wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Harris’ CNN interview. Viewers said Harris looked ‘weak’ and ‘bad’ for waiting weeks and then sitting alongside her running mate.
After avoiding interviews for more than a month, the vice president sat down with CNN’s Dana Bash as well as her running mate Tim Walz to answer questions in a Georgia restaurant on Thursday.
‘I think it kind of makes her look bad because I really think she should sit down and have this interview so everyone in the world can see her point of view and where she’s coming from, said 52-year-old female restaurant manager from Texas, who plans to vote for Harris in November.
Another Harris voter from Massachusetts said she worried that it makes her look ‘as though she’s not fit to be president.’
However, others also said delaying the interview made her look ‘busy’ and Walz made them look part of a ‘team.’