- President Donald Trump slammed former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as gutless and "not the 'smartest person'" on Twitter Monday morning.
- On Sunday, Schultz announced he was running for president and criticized Trump's lack of qualifications.
- The battle between the two has been heating up for years. They have faced off over issues such as immigration, tax reform, and Starbucks' baristas reported failure to say "Merry Christmas."
President Donald Trump slammed former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz on Twitter on Monday morning.
"Howard Schultz doesn't have the 'guts' to run for President!" Trump tweeted. "Watched him on @60Minutes last night and I agree with him that he is not the 'smartest person.'"
The attack came after Schultz announced he was "seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent."
"Not only the fact that this president is not qualified to be the president, but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what's necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged every single day in revenge politics," Schultz said in an interview with "60 Minutes" on Sunday.
The battle of the wealthy businessmen has been a long time coming.
Trump bashed Starbucks on the campaign trail in 2015. And, Schultz has criticized Trump's politics for years.
Here's a look at how the feud between the two men has evolved as Starbucks has become the focus of a culture war in Trump's America:
Trump first took on Starbucks as a political foe in 2015, while campaigning in the 2016 presidential race.
The then-presidential hopeful brought up the topic of the chain's decision to release simple, red holiday cups for the 2015 holiday season during a pre-debate rally in Springfield, Illinois.
"No more 'Merry Christmas' at Starbucks," Trump said to a crowd of about 10,200, reports the Washington Post."Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don't know. Seriously. I don't care."
Trump also said that he might terminate Starbucks' lease in Trump Tower over the red cups. More than three years later, the location remains open.
Read more:Trump suggests boycotting Starbucks' plain red holiday cups
Trump's critics called for Starbucks to end its Trump Tower lease.
In 2016, Starbucks supporters attempted to take matters into their own hands, asking the company to terminate its lease. Hundreds of people pledged to buy more than $40,000 in Starbucks gift cards if the company terminated its lease.
"The money Starbucks gives Trump every month is used to fund the bigotry and racism that he broadcasts across the country," the pledge read. "Macy's, NBC-Universal, ESPN, Apple, and NASCAR have all cut ties with Trump, but Starbucks continues to hold out, forcing us to unwillingly fund Donald Trump's hate with every latte bought."
Schultz endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in the 2016 presidential race, slamming Trump.
In September 2016, Schultz endorsed Clinton, the first time he publicly came out in support of a presidential candidate.
"I think it's obvious that Hillary Clinton needs to be the next president," Schultz told CNN's Poppy Harlow. "On the other side, we've seen such vitriolic display of bigotry and hate and divisiveness, and that is not the leadership we need for the future of the country."
Read more:Starbucks CEO endorses Hillary Clinton
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