Billionaire hedge funder Bill Ackman says the Democratic Party is in the worst shape in its history – and thinks likely 2028 presidential contenders like Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are “disasters.”
asserted
contenders → say → Pritzker
On a Tuesday episode of “The Katie Miller Podcast,” Ackman said there are some impressive Democratic members of Congress, but insisted the party as a whole has fallen into shambles.
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party → say → shambles
“I think the Democratic Party is in the worst place it’s ever been.
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it → think → place
In the 250-year history of the country,” the founder of Pershing Square Capital Management said.
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founder → say → Management
“I think it’s become like this crazy, radicalized, you know, anti-American thing.”
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you → think → thing
He zeroed in on Democratic politicians who, he said, have been bending the knee to more extreme party members — specifically jabbing at New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader.
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he → zero → Schumer
“I think the problem with people who’ve chosen to be a politician for a career, you either have to get with the party in order to continue or you get primaried,” Ackman said.
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Ackman → think → order
“Sen. Schumer, I had a good relationship with him over the years.
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I → have → years
I thought he was a good man.
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he → think → ?
But in recent years, I felt he’s just trying to keep his job.
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he → feel → job
And, you know, that’s the really low point for politicians, when they’ll compromise on their values,” he added.
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he → know → values
“And they’ll support, you know, a quasi-terrorist perhaps running for Senate in Michigan because they have to for the party.
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they → support → party
Stuff like that to me is – or terrorist supporter – I find that pretty, deeply concerning.
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that → find → me
He was seemingly nodding to far-leftist Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
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He → nod → Sayed
His GOP opponent, Mike Rogers, has sought to link El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood, a terror-designated Islamist group.
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opponent → seek → Brotherhood
El-Sayed has since denounced the group, though his biological mom was an activist for the Muslim Brotherhood, according to a social-media post from her daughter, El-Sayed’s half-sister.
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mom → denounce → daughter
Ackman said he has some friends in the Democratic Party, like New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker – but that he can’t think of a single candidate who could win his vote in the 2028 presidential election.
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who → say → election
“I probably have as many, if not more, friends who are Democrats than Republicans.
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who → have → Republicans
But, you know, I haven’t seen a good presidential candidate – certainly none of the names, you know — Pritzker, Newsom,” Ackman said.
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Ackman → know → names
“I think these are, you know, disasters.”
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you → think → ?
At one point, when Katie Miller – wife of top Trump aide Stephen Miller and a former aide at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency – referred to Ackman as a reformed “lifelong Democrat,” the billionaire quickly pushed back.
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billionaire → refer → Democrat
“I wasn’t a lifelong – see, this is what you’re getting wrong,” Ackman said.
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Ackman → see → what
I didn’t align with a party.
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I → align → party
But in New York City, if you want to vote in an election like where it’s going to matter, like the primary, you have to register.
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you → want → primary
“I was an independent, and then there was an important election.
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I → be → ?
I registered as a Democrat to vote for whomever, I don’t remember who, and then I, you know, hadn’t checked my registration in years kind of thing.”
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you → register → thing
Ackman has a long history of donating to prominent Democrats, including former President Barack Obama.
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Ackman → have → Obama
More recently, he donated thousands of dollars to GOP-backed PACs and supported former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s failed bid to defeat New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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he → donate → Mamdani
Ackman initially congratulated Mamdani on his mayoral win, but later bashed the mayor’s policies as “very bad for New York.”
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Ackman → congratulate → York
The moneyman specifically lambasted a rent freeze on nearly 1 million apartments, which he argued could discourage investment and worsen the city’s housing shortage.
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he → lambast → shortage
He also tore into Mamdani for filming a viral video about his pied-à-terre tax outside billionaire Ken Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse, warning the new mayor could drive business leaders and their investments out of the city.
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mayor → tear → city
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