Controversial billionaire Mark Cuban has floated the idea of running for president with Charles Barkley after insisting the NBA legend is ‘somebody America needs’.

Cuban, who was a surrogate for Kamala Harris before the Democratic nominee lost this month’s election, has been tipped to make a run for the White House in previous election cycles but is yet to throw his name into the hat.

During an appearance on The Steam Room podcast with Barkley and host Ernie Johnson, the minority Dallas Mavericks owner was asked about the tribalism in American politics and how the country can begin to have more amicable debates moving forward.

Cuban responded: ‘It takes somebody in my mind that will go out there and just talk to anybody, like Charles!

‘Charles can talk to anybody and put himself in any circumstance and get along with everybody, and I think that’s what we need.’ 

Johnson then asked Cuban if he would consider running for president if Barkley was alongside him.

Mark Cuban (left) has floated the idea of running for president with Charles Barkley (right)

‘Yes, absolutely,’ he said. ‘We would win running away. No question about it.’

Barkley also chipped in by saying: ‘We’d definitely win. Running away.’

Amid his support for Harris, Cuban recently sparked controversy when he claimed during an appearance on The View that Donald Trump never associates himself with ‘strong, intelligent women.’ 

‘It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him,’ he argued. ‘He doesn’t like to be challenged by them, and, you know, Nikki Haley will call him on his nonsense with reproductive rights and how he sees and treats and talks about women. I mean, he just can’t have her around. It wouldn’t work.’

However, Cuban backtracked on those comments during an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com a few days later.

‘It’s part of politics, it was my mistake, and I apologized for it. I certainly wasn’t saying anything negative about anyone supporting Trump,’ he stressed.

When asked what his wife of 22 years made of his comments, Cuban added: ‘Tiffany watched the entire interview and had no issue with it. She knew what I was trying to say.

‘She also knows that when I do hundreds of interviews, there will be some I mess up on. I flubbed many more Mavs interviews that got me fined by the NBA. So she is kind of used to it,’ he added, referring to when he owned the Mavericks.’

Cuban said America needs somebody like Barkley in office to ease tension across the country

The minority Dallas Mavericks owner was a surrogate for Kamala Harris before the election

He was forced to apologize earlier this month after a controversial remark about Donald Trump

Taking to X on November 1, he also responded to the outrage by posting: ‘When I said this during the interview, I didn’t get it out exactly the way I thought I did.

‘So I apologize to anyone who felt slighted or upset by my response. As I said, it wasn’t about Trump voters, supporters or employees. Current or former and, I set myself up for the 6 sec soundbite. No excuses. Can’t nail every interview.

‘My skin is thick enough. What bothers me though is that so many of the comments or media, in support of, or against me, has some level of insult attached to it. Not just here. But everywhere.

‘I’m not blaming anyone. We are where we are. Here is hoping that changes at least a little bit in a week. In the spirit of joy… I have to add that all the AI memes of me with the long hair crack me up. So there is a positive!’ he added.