Opinion: I asked Mark Cuban why he has gone all in for Harris. Here's what he told me.

Mark Cuban might make a good president someday, but he hasn't ventured far into politics.

At least, until this year.

The part owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks and a "Shark Tank" investor isn't exactly a Republican. But I've interviewed him several times since 2015, and I've never seen him until now campaign hard for a Democrat, especially not a progressive ticket.

Yet, Cuban has been on the campaign trail for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and just interviewed the vice president for her YouTube page.

What does the Texas billionaire see in the Harris campaign? And why is he at war with another famous Texas billionaire, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk?

I asked Cuban about his recent foray into politics.

Mark Cuban: 'I know Harris would make a better President'

Cuban had for years feuded off and on with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, even before the New Yorker's venture into politics. But in 2015, Cuban said Trump was "probably the best thing to happen to politics in a long, long time."

Cuban originally thought it would be good if Trump, a fellow businessman, could shift the state of American politics.

"I was like, ‘He's great. He's not a typical Stepford candidate. I thought that was a positive,' " Cuban told former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in a recent interview.

He quickly changed his mind.

In a 2017 column I wrote for the Daily Beast, Cuban told me that Trump was an "idiot," but that he himself wasn't a “liberal.”

"Are you a liberal now? Or even a far-left progressive?" I asked him in an email this month in light of his active support for Harris.

"lol. No. I’m still independent and make up my mind on a position by position basis," Cuban wrote back. "I know Harris would make a better President. That’s the only reason I’m supporting her."

"If it were up to me they could make political parties illegal and I would be happy," Cuban added.

That sentiment will likely disappoint conservatives, confuse liberals and excite libertarians.

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Many conservatives believed that he seemed like one of them. And it turns out, even though he's campaigning for Harris, he still aligns with conservatives on some ideas.

"I would prefer smaller and more effective government, "Cuban said. "But I prefer being pragmatic over dogmatic."

He said that government programs can help people in need, and that philanthropic enterprise is something he values. His Cost Plus Drug Co. is a real-life example. The online pharmacy boasts pharmaceutical drug prices at a fraction of the normal cost.

"We as a country are only as good as our children. When children and their parents struggle, it makes life harder for them and those that love and help them," Cuban told me. "When we solve some of our basic issues, then we can start removing those programs. ... I’ve had this very conversation with Kamala. About the need to improve efficiency of government programs so we can get better results for the people who need them."

Despite Harris' policy positions that advocate for $25,000 in down payment assistance for qualified first-time homebuyers and handing out 1 million "fully forgivable" loans of up to $20,000 for Black entrepreneurs, Cuban still thinks she is better for the job than Trump.

"I want a president that is honest, ethical, open minded, not an ideologue or dogmatic," Cuban wrote. "Pragmatic, analytical and learns from her experiences and from others."

'It's the Harris campaign versus Elon'

Cuban isn't the only billionaire engaging in this presidential fight. Elon Musk, another Texas billionaire, has been campaigning hard for Trump.

"Elon has taken over the ground game of the Republican Party," Cuban told me. "I believe this election will be won by the organization that does the job best."

He recognizes Musk's influence. "It's the Harris campaign versus Elon, not even versus Trump," Cuban said during a recent appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

But he still doesn't understand why Musk is campaigning so hard for Trump. "I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me," Cuban wrote.

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Musk's advocacy could be related to his hatred of government censorship. He now owns X, formerly Twitter. The Washington Post called Musk "the world's wealthiest flag-bearer for free speech."

Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have questioned the limits of free speech, a sentiment that has conservatives anxious about their leadership should they win.

I've interviewed Cuban enough to appreciate his views on politics and policy, even though I don't share many of them. I also appreciate Musk's commitment to free speech. When I see the two of them feuding, it feels like two uncles are fighting.

So I had to ask Cuban: Musk is worth about $270 billion. Cuban is worth approximately $6 billion. How can voters know this isn't just a personal standoff between Texas billionaires?

"None of this is about Elon to me," Cuban said. "He is a great entrepreneur, a world class troll, but that doesn’t (change) the fact that Kamala Harris is a far better candidate."

Mark Cuban on Trump's tariffs and paying taxes

Cuban clearly enjoys being in the middle of the political fray, but he's nothing if not a businessman first.

Cuban co-founded the first commercial streaming company, which he sold in 1999 for almost $6 billion, turning 91% of his employees into millionaires.

As the first billionaire investor on ABC's "Shark Tank," Cuban has been a major reason for the show's success. In the past, I've asked him about how everyday Americans should handle a possible recession. (Pay down debt and save cash.) I was curious now about his thoughts on some of Trump's more controversial economic policies and how they'd affect the finances of everyday folks.

Trump, for example, recently promised he'd impose a baseline tariff of up to 20% on imports to the United States and 60% on those from China.

"We actually asked entrepreneurs that came on the show how tariffs would impact their business. They all said it was a negative for them that would increase their costs and their uncertainty of capital allocation," Cuban said. "When you don’t know if tariffs will happen or what they will cost you can’t run your business as usual. And when across the board tariffs hit, more often than not they will reduce your sales and profits."

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Trump's tariff proposal is disappointing. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said it is American consumers who will "bear the brunt" of such a policy.

Conservatives who like Trump cite his tax breaks, which are set to expire in 2025, as one example of why he should be president.

In the spring, Cuban posted on X that he was proud to pay almost $300 million in taxes. I asked him why he thought the top 1% should pay more than their fair share of taxes.

"Because to a certain extent we got lucky," Cuban said. "I start the streaming business right as the stock market for internet companies was exploding. That’s luck. The only reason I was in that position was because of all the amazing things this country has given me. Because of all the people who put their lives on the line to protect us. None of that is free. I truly believe that after military service, paying your taxes is the most patriotic thing you can do."

Is paying taxes and helping others become millionaires as far as Cuban will go for America? Or would he ever put his name on the ballot as an independent?

In a 2016 interview, Cuban told me he'd never run for president but would consider vice president. The 2028 election is only four years away.

"Who would be your running mate?" I asked.

Ever charming and shrewd he answered, "Are you available?"

Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Opinion: Why Elon Musk and Mark Cuban are split over Trump and Harris