BET Founder Bob Johnson Thinks Democrats Have Moved “Too Far To The Left”

BET Network founder Robert L Johnson thinks that America’s political establishment is being torn apart by partisanship that has become “very wicked and very mean.”

Johnson, who describes himself as a long time centrist and Democrat, thinks the Dems have become too liberal for his liking.

According to Forbes, the BET network founder became the country’s first African American billionaire after selling Black Entertainment Television in 2001. Although he supported Hillary Clinton in the last presidential election, Johnson believes the Dems need to be doing more to try to work with Trump; and for that reason, he’s not behind any particular candidate yet.

“I don’t have a particular candidate (I’m supporting) in the party at this time,” Johnson said. ”I think at the end of the day, if a Democrat is going to beat Trump, then that person, he or she, will have to move to the center and you can’t wait too long to do that.”

According to an interview with CNBC, Johnson told Hadley Gamble, “The party in my opinion, for me personally, has moved too far to the left,” he said.

Johnson expressed his concern that there is “no give or take in terms of trying to come to an understanding of how best to run the country.”

“If business people are concerned about anything, it’s the clear, clear partisan politics that’s become very wicket and very mean. And that’s not helping the American people, and it’s not helping America as a global nation,” he said. 

When CNBC asked Johnson about his opinion on Trump’s style of leadership, the business mogul said Trump “got his own style,” though he perhaps needs to “step back a little bit from some of his showmanship.”

However, Johnson did express some admiration for Trump, particularly where the economy is concerned.

“I think the economy is doing great, and it’s reaching populations that heretofore had very bad problems in terms of jobs and employments and the opportunities that come with employment- so African American unemployment is at its lowest level,” he said. “I give the president a lot of credit for moving the economy in a positive direction that’s benefiting a large amount of Americans.”

Despite the U.S. dispute with China over trade, Johnson said that “overall, if you look at the U.S. economy … you got to give the president an A+ for that.”