For a businessman who has unsuccessfully dabbled in politics, Kevin O’Leary always has a lot to say on the intersection of business and politics.
The (in)famous Shark Tank investor has rung the bell in desperation on political leaders to settle the federal shutdown standoff before it disrupts critical government operations. He cautioned that if the shutdown stretches on, the effects could be felt across the country and the world.
The impact could ripple across essential services, from tax processing at the IRS to airport security managed by the TSA.
The Economy in Danger From Political Shutdown
Kevin expressed his views on X by tweeting, “I don’t care if you’re red or blue — when government stops, America stops. You can’t piecemeal the problem. Either they get back in the room and make a deal, or the entire economy grinds to a halt. That’s not politics, that’s math.”
Speaking on Fox Business earlier, Kevin pushed back against the idea of passing separate funding bills for certain programs during the shutdown. He said doing so is a poor strategy because it reduces the incentive for both sides to reach a full agreement.
Mr. Wonderful explained that when Congress funds select areas like food aid or aviation pay, it takes the urgency out of solving the larger problem and delays a real resolution.
Kevin clarified that he isn’t taking sides in the dispute but thinks pressure from the public could be the key to getting both parties back to the negotiating table.
Air Travel Disruptions Grow Amid Staffing Shortages
Air travel is feeling the strain as unpaid staffing takes a toll on the system. The FAA has had to reduce flight operations and even temporarily pause landings at times due to a lack of available air traffic controllers.
Major airports like Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington Reagan National, and Orlando have been hit with long backups and delays lasting more than two hours.
Vice President JD Vance has warned that an extended government shutdown could throw Thanksgiving travel into chaos. He urged Democrats to support efforts to reopen the government before the situation spirals into a nationwide travel nightmare.
Food Assistance Disputes Add Fuel to the Shutdown Fight
The battle over food aid has also become one of the most heated parts of the shutdown. Courts have told the administration to find a way to keep SNAP benefits going through November by dipping into backup funds, since tens of millions of Americans depend on that support each month.
The government is now racing to meet strict court deadlines on how it plans to make that happen.
Republicans are considering Donald Trump’s push to eliminate the Senate filibuster in order to pass a funding bill without help from Democrats. Party leaders, though, have mostly pushed back on the idea, arguing it would do more harm than good in the long run.
O’Leary Explains Why Smart Investors Watch Policy Over Politics
Many people see business and politics as inseparable in a capitalist system, but Kevin O’Leary doesn’t share that view. Mr. Wonderful is very clearly a profit-first kind of person, conveniently keeping politics at a distance when it comes to accumulating more money.
Kevin explains his perspective by saying that wealth isn’t built through politicians themselves but through the policies their administrations put in place.
He added on that by saying, “I look at policy. You can’t make money with a politician. You make money on the policy they create through their administration. And so when you look at fund flows from sovereign wealth, which is a massive amount, the majority of money invested today comes from those funds all around the world.”
When asked what advice he’d give the president about managing trade and tariffs to reduce the strain on businesses and consumers, O’Leary said his message is always the same. He believes the president’s role isn’t to decide which sectors thrive or fail, since the American economy has proven its strength for more than two centuries.
According to Kevin, the less the government interferes, the better the market performs.
When Politics Stalls, The Economy Suffers
Kevin O’Leary has commented in the past on how politics and business shouldn’t mix. But he also knows that when Washington stalls, everyone pays the price. There is no denying that the economy is in danger from a political shutdown.
One does not have to agree with Mr. Wonderful to acknowledge how problematic the current stalemate is. It is the longest federal shutdown in American history. It also serves as a reminder for someone like Kevin O’Leary that perhaps politics and business indeed do go hand in hand, if history books did not tell him that already.
