Bill Ackman Renews Call for Jamie Dimon as President

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman on Thursday renewed his call for JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon to run for president, saying on Twitter that it will be a "huge loss for us all if Jamie won't run."

Ackman, CEO of the hedge fund Pershing Square, posted his tweet along with a video of Dimon speaking at an event hosted in 2016 by The Economic Club of Washington, D.C., reported Business Insider.

In that speech, Dimon told Carlyle co-founder David Rubenstein: "America has the best hand ever dealt of any country on this planet today, ever."

Dimon also praised the United States for having the "widest, deepest financial markets the world has ever seen," and said the country has the best military, universities, innovation, and work ethic.

In May, Ackman also called on Dimon to run for the White House, calling Dimon an "exemplary leader" who has "superbly managed" JPMorgan through every crisis.

"Our country is at risk with $32T (trillion) of debt with no end to massive deficits in sight, heading into a recession at a time of great political uncertainty," Ackman said in May. "Clearly he is thinking about running. I can't imagine a better time for him to do so."

Ackman's comments in May came after Dimon said in an interview with Bloomberg that he loves the U.S. and that "maybe one day I'll serve my country in one capacity or another."

Dimon in 2018 commented on a hypothetical campaign against then-President Donald Trump, saying he thinks he could win "because I'm as tough as he is, I'm smarter than he is."

Dimon later walked back on his comments, saying that his remark proved he would not be good in politics.

Several prominent figures, including Warren Buffett, former President Bill Clinton, and real estate developer Ross Perot Jr., have praised Dimon for his leadership qualities and political skills.

Dimon, 67, recently told Bloomberg TV that public office has crossed his mind, but he still plans to stay at JP Morgan for at least 3 1/2 more years.

It's not clear which nomination Dimon would seek, reported CNN.

In an interview in 2019, he told CNBC he considers himself "barely a Democrat," adding" "My heart is Democratic, my brain is kind of Republican," and in April, he told CNN's Poppy Harlow he still feels that way.

"I think we can do a better job of lifting up all of our citizens," Dimon said. "Free market capitalism, properly regulated, has lifted billions of people out of poverty. I'm usually led by my heart, but my brain part is saying if we're going to spend money, we should spend it wisely."

He added that there must be a sophisticated, comprehensive policy on energy, and that "Republicans probably have that a little bit better."