Howard Schultz Tells People to Clap During Speech

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz reportedly had to tell a crowd to clap at one of his lines in a Thursday speech at Purdue University. According to Mediaite, Shultz’s plea for applause came after he mentioned that the cost of an education at the school was going down. “Under President Daniels the cost of an education here will be less expensive in nominal dollars in 2020 than it was in 2012,” he said. “Congratulations.” After a brief and silent pause, Shultz said, “You gotta clap for that.” The audience then gave the potential 2020 presidential candidate his desired applause. Shultz’s remark was reminiscent of Jeb Bush’s infamous “please clap” line at a campaign event during the 2016 election. In a tweet Wednesday, Shultz wrote that his speech would focus on his “vision for the country” and promote his potential third-party bid. Mediaite also reported that a Facebook livestream of the speech reached a maximum of 200 viewers.