During a prime-time town-hall event on CNN Tuesday night, former Starbucks CEO and potential 2020 independent presidential candidate Howard Schultz responded to a question about racism by claiming he doesn’t “see color.” Answering a question about the anti-bias training at Starbucks stores across the country following the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia location last year, Schultz first denounced “racial injustice” in America. Then he claimed, “I didn’t see color as a young boy and I honestly don’t see color now.” At other points throughout the event in Houston, Schultz criticized progressive tax increases and called the Green New Deal plan “immoral” without offering specifics on how he would address those issues differently. He also refused to commit to selling his Starbucks shares if he were to be elected president and would not confirm that he would drop out of the race in late 2020 if polls suggested his presence would help re-elect Donald Trump.
