Signs Indicate Ex-Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz Could Be Mulling a Presidential Run

Latest steps taken by Howard Schultz, the former chairman and CEO of Starbucks, indicate he could be gearing up for a 2020 presidential bid, according to a CNBC report.

Schultz, a Democrat from Washington state, has reportedly assembled an all-star public relations team ahead of the release of his new book, "From the Ground Up: A Journey to Reimagine the Promise of America."

Spearheading the PR team of advisers is Steve Schmidt, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump who managed Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in 2008, but left the Republican party earlier this year. Joining him is Cheryl Cook, a longtime executive vice president at Edelman, and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a former Washington Post correspondent and Starbucks alum.

Insiders say these appointments and the upcoming book release signal a possible presidential run is forthcoming.

"I certainly believe in the abstract people coming from the business into politics, particularly a run for president, they need someone around them. They need to have people familiar to them to help them," Thomas Rath, a New Hampshire Republican operative and a former aide to Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich when he ran for president in 2016, told CNBC.

"He wants to show people he can put together a team quickly and the best presidential campaigns have people from multidisciplinary sectors, from the private sector to those in political work," Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf added. "It's smart. The Clinton's first campaign had film makers. So did Ronald Reagan. Bringing all different types of people into the operation shows you know what you're doing and its a warning to other candidates."

Schultz has yet to visit any early primary states — something presidential hopefuls use as a tool to test the waters —and he hasn't yet met with any Democratic Party leaders, CNBC noted.

But he has consistently been a name whispered by Dems to take on Trump in 2020. For his part, he's left the door open.

“I intend to think about a range of options, and that could include public service,” he said over the summer when he stepped down as Starbucks CEO. “But I’m a long way from making any decisions about the future.”