In an attempt to dismiss the overwhelming support Donald Trump received in the 2016 election, billionaire Mark Cuban recently made a jaw-dropping claim: that "the only reason Donald Trump won was because the media leans right."
Cuban, known for his fiery opinions and as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has never been one to shy away from making bold statements. But this one raises more than a few eyebrows.
Cuban, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, has consistently taken jabs at the former president and his political supporters. His remarks, however, seem to completely miss the mark—both in terms of logic and understanding of how elections actually work.
The idea that media bias alone could have delivered Trump the presidency is not just misguided, it’s insulting to the voters who made their decision at the ballot box, regardless of which media outlet they followed.
Let’s break down the absurdity of Cuban’s claim and why it’s so easy to mock.
First, it’s important to acknowledge that media bias is, indeed, a real thing. Whether it’s the so-called "mainstream media" that Cuban might be referring to, or the conservative-leaning outlets that some argue dominate in the digital sphere, media outlets do have their biases.
But to claim that Trump’s victory was solely due to the media’s bias is oversimplifying the complex dynamics of an election. It’s as if Cuban is saying that the public, including millions of voters, are incapable of thinking for themselves and making informed decisions.
The media’s role in shaping narratives cannot be denied. The media coverage of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, for example, was relentless, and the way it was reported likely contributed to some of the negative perceptions of her during the campaign.
However, Trump’s success wasn’t just about how the media treated him—it was about the real, tangible issues that voters cared about, from economic anxieties in the Rust Belt to frustration with political elites in Washington.
Cuban’s argument that media bias "forced" Trump’s victory ignores the fact that Trump’s victory was a result of voter turnout, state-by-state election dynamics, and specific issues that resonated with the electorate.
To reduce it to something as simplistic as "media bias" is not only patronizing but also misleading. After all, if media bias alone could dictate elections, wouldn’t more candidates benefit from it?
Cuban seems to suggest that voters in Trump’s base were simply swayed by conservative media outlets. That’s an insult to the very people who made a conscious choice to vote for Trump.
The voters who supported Trump didn’t do so because they were mindlessly following what they heard on Fox News or reading alt-right blogs—they did so because they felt that their voices weren’t being heard by the political establishment.
Trump promised to shake up the system, and for millions of Americans, that message was compelling enough to make him their candidate of choice.
Voter behavior is far more complex than Cuban’s narrow perspective allows for. It’s not about blindly following media narratives; it’s about responding to the real-life consequences of policies that have left certain communities behind.
For people who feel abandoned by traditional politicians, Trump’s anti-establishment rhetoric and promise to "Make America Great Again" resonated on a deep emotional level.
Moreover, Cuban’s insinuation that voters only follow media cues without independent thought feeds into the same condescending elitism that Trump successfully tapped into during his campaign.
Many of Trump’s supporters were not uneducated or uninformed; they were working-class individuals who had grown tired of the same old rhetoric from politicians who promised change but delivered little. Trump's populist appeal wasn’t about media narratives—it was about giving a voice to the forgotten and ignored.
It’s also worth noting that Cuban himself was a vocal critic of Trump during the 2016 campaign. He was one of the prominent figures in the media who strongly opposed Trump’s bid for the presidency. So, it’s curious that he now seems to shift the blame for Trump’s win to the media, when he himself was a part of that media landscape.
Cuban's claim also overlooks a key fact: media outlets weren’t just pro-Trump—they were anti-Trump as well. The coverage of the 2016 election was, to put it mildly, a circus, and mainstream media did not exactly shower Trump with glowing praise.
If anything, it was a constant barrage of negative stories about him, from his inflammatory rhetoric to his controversial policies. While conservative media may have been more sympathetic toward Trump, liberal outlets had no qualms about presenting him in a negative light.
So, if media bias truly had the power Cuban suggests, why didn’t it work against Trump? Could it be that media bias works both ways, and people simply aren’t as easily swayed by the opinions of reporters and pundits as Cuban seems to think?
Trump’s success wasn’t built on media bias alone—it was built on the powerful message he delivered to millions of disillusioned voters. Cuban, who has made a fortune in the world of business, seems to forget that the root of Trump’s victory was about more than just soundbites on television or social media posts—it was about connecting with people on issues they cared about.
In fact, Cuban himself has been critical of politicians who fail to connect with voters, emphasizing the need for authenticity in leadership.
Yet, he appears to underestimate how Trump’s authenticity, his brashness, and his willingness to speak directly to the concerns of everyday Americans were key to his success.
Trump's supporters didn’t care about media narratives; they cared about jobs, trade policies, immigration, and being heard in a system that often ignored them.
Cuban’s remarks suggest a complete disregard for these deeply rooted political currents, focusing instead on a simplistic narrative that downplays the complexity of American politics.
It’s hard to ignore the irony of Mark Cuban, a billionaire entrepreneur who rose to fame through reality television and his investments in tech and entertainment, lecturing about media bias.
Cuban, like many other figures in Hollywood, benefits from the media ecosystem he now criticizes. The entertainment industry, in which Cuban is a prominent figure, has long been accused of its own form of liberal bias—an environment that many would argue shapes public opinion just as strongly, if not more so, than conservative media outlets.
For Cuban to single out right-leaning media as the singular force behind Trump’s win is to ignore the significant role that Hollywood, the entertainment industry, and left-leaning media played in shaping public perceptions of Trump during the campaign.
While Trump may have benefitted from conservative outlets, Clinton and her allies also had a massive, well-funded media apparatus working in their favor. Yet somehow, Cuban chooses to overlook this broader reality in favor of a narrative that suits his argument.
Ultimately, Cuban’s comments miss the point about why Trump won in 2016. It wasn’t simply because of media bias—it was because Trump spoke to a large segment of Americans who felt ignored and alienated by the political establishment.
His message wasn’t just about right-wing media—it was about speaking directly to the concerns of everyday people who wanted change.
Instead of mocking Trump’s supporters and blaming the media, Cuban would do well to reflect on why so many voters felt compelled to support a candidate like Trump.
It wasn’t just about the media—it was about a national conversation on issues like job loss, immigration, trade, and foreign policy. Cuban’s dismissive attitude toward Trump’s victory is an insult to those voters and an oversimplification of a complex and multifaceted election.
Mark Cuban’s remarks on the 2016 election and Trump’s win are not only misguided but also insulting to the very voters he seems to dismiss. His claim that the media is solely responsible for Trump’s victory fails to acknowledge the real reasons why millions of Americans chose to vote for a political outsider who promised change.
Rather than mocking Trump’s success and shifting the blame to the media, Cuban should take the opportunity to engage with the issues that truly matter to voters.
The election was never just about media bias—it was about the concerns, frustrations, and hopes of millions of Americans who felt their voices had been silenced for far too long.
