By In a striking reversal, Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone has thrown his support behind President Donald Trump, praising the man he once sharply criticized as a possible contender for “one of our best presidents ever.” Speaking Tuesday on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Langone—long considered a cautious voice among Republican donors—said simply, “I am sold on Trump.”
Ken Langone: "I am sold on Trump… I think he's got a good shot at going down in history as one of our best presidents ever."
CNBC: "That is a real turnaround because you didn't want to vote for him!"
Langone: "When you made a mistake, admit it."pic.twitter.com/X4lNTwit0r
— Thomas Sowell Quotes (@ThomasSowell) July 16, 2025
The billionaire businessman’s change of heart represents a dramatic evolution in GOP donor circles. Just months ago, Langone had backed Nikki Haley during the Republican primaries and expressed open unease over Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol protests. Now, citing both Trump’s economic record and the July 13 assassination attempt at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Langone says he sees the president in a new light, writes The New York Post.
“Knowledge implies one thing: When you made a mistake, admit it,” he said, reflecting on his past criticisms, including his notorious dismissal of Trump’s trade policy as “bulls***.” With evident humility, Langone added, “I think this guy is turning out to be a president, right?”
Central to his conversion is a reassessment of Trump’s tariff agenda, particularly the “reciprocal tariff” approach aimed at correcting trade disparities. Langone, once a free trade stalwart, now sees the imbalance as indefensible. “Germany puts a 10% tariff on our cars. We put 2.5% on theirs,” he said. “That’s wrong… Every other car in America is a Mercedes… most of them are foreign.” He now describes Trump’s tariffs as both “needed” and “right.”
Langone’s new enthusiasm also extends to Trump’s foreign policy. He specifically cited economic agreements in the Middle East—deals he claims are worth $3 trillion—as proof of the president’s global acumen. “What I’m seeing happening is absolutely nothing short of a great thing,” he said.
When host Joe Kernan reminded Langone that he had once hesitated to vote for Trump, the answer was unequivocal: “I want to tell you, I’m a believer.”
Langone’s endorsement comes at a pivotal political moment. Inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is expected later this week, and Trump’s economic policies are again front and center in the national conversation. Langone’s comments may carry particular weight among GOP donors and business leaders still deciding how to position themselves ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential cycle.
His shift also mirrors a broader trend among Republicans—particularly within the donor class—who once distanced themselves from Trump but now see his policies as effective, even prescient. Recent endorsements from other prominent conservatives, including former Trump critics in finance and foreign policy circles, suggest a consolidating effort around his leadership, particularly after the Butler rally shooting, which some allies say “humanized” Trump and underscored his resilience.
Langone’s journey from skeptic to advocate may prove influential among moderate GOP voters and swing donors. At minimum, it signals a renewed unity among conservative elites behind Trump’s brand of economic nationalism—an approach once derided, now rebranded as a winning formula.
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