Home Depot Co-founder Ken Langone spoke with FOX Business Network’s (FBN) Maria Bartiromo about his thoughts on United States political field. Langone commented on nothing being done in the House or Senate since January saying, “if I was [Speak of the House] John Boehner and I was [Majority Leader of the Senate] Mitch McConnell I would resign as the leaders right now” and that “they are being led around by their nose by the President of the United States.” He went on to discuss the 2016 election, saying, “we’re in a zoo right now more than a campaign. But I am for Christie,” who he thinks “would be a superb president…he would restore the dignity of America.” Lastly, Langone commented on Donald Trump, saying , “Trump is saying what many American people are thinking,” and “the bigger issue to me, not what Trump said about [McCain] or didn’t say about him. And that is what Trump’s message was.”
Ken Langone on his take on the 2016 presidential race so far:
“Well, there’s a lot of people who want to be president…I’m sure there’s at least 100 million Americans and they probably have as good a chance as most of these people that have declared they are going to run. So, I mean, we’re in a zoo right now more than we are a campaign. But I am for Christie. I think Christie would be a superb president. I think he would restore the dignity of America that is missing, that has been missing for a long time. He’s a good guy, he shoots straight and, as a matter of fact, what is the word on Trump? Trump is saying what many American people are thinking. The thing that shocks me is, if I saw a guy getting as many points as he was getting in the early polls, I’d ask myself the question, what is the message?…Last year, I can’t tell you how many times I got calls on how much money, how many checks I wrote. We’ve got to get control of the Senate. If we get control of the House and the Senate, we can get things done. Well, we’ve had control of the House and Senate since January and we’ve gotten nothing done.”
Ken Langone on why nothing has been done in the Senate and House since January:
“I am absolutely — first of all, if I was John Boehner and I was Mitch McConnell I would resign as the leaders right now. I’d say somebody else take a shot at it. I am not getting anything done…they are being led around by their nose by the President of the United States. It’s almost as if the legislative branch doesn’t matter. And this is what is wrong. I think the American people are fed up. I know, if I was running now, I would say, to get, by the way — John McCain is truly a national hero…So is every cop, every fireman, every kid that puts a uniform on, John McCain was a hero, is a hero and always will be a hero. But every kid that puts a uniform on, puts themselves in harm’s way. John, unfortunately, paid the price. He is a great American, he’s a great hero, off the table. What has John McCain done for the veterans in America? He can say, he was there, he knows what it is like, look at the mess the V.A. is in. What has John McCain done? He should have the very sense of — he should be empathetic more than anybody else because he was one of them. So what’s he done? That is the bigger issue to me, not what Trump said about him or didn’t say about him. And that is what Trump’s message was.”
Ken Langone on whether he thinks Bridgegate is over:
“Gone. Maybe an issue for some voters.”
Ken Langone on the biggest single challenge to America:
“Look. Let me say one thing and it’s going to shock you, what I’m going to say. The biggest single challenge to America and our future is income inequality. We’ve got to fix it. We’ve got to — not with rhetoric, not with regulation. We have got to fix it. How can anybody live on whatever the minimum wage is now?”
Ken Langone on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio:
“Dick Grasso would be a superb mayor of the City of New York. He loves the city. He has enormous respect for the people that serve the city, the cops, the firemen, the sanitation drivers. This is the kind of a person that should be in public service.”
