SEATTLE — Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who is considering an independent bid for president, is apologizing for saying he had likely spent more time with the military than the other candidates.
Schultz made the comments during an interview Thursday with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. Two Democratic candidates are veterans, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg (BOO’-tuh-juhj).
Afterward, Schultz tweeted that leaders must accept responsibility for mistakes and his comment “was wrong.”
Gabbard served in Iraq with the Hawaii Army National Guard, and Buttigieg is a veteran of the Afghanistan War, having served a tour with the Navy Reserve.
Buttigieg tweeted that he didn’t “recall seeing any Starbucks over there.”
During his time at Starbucks, the company pledged to hire more veterans and last year said it had hired 21,000 over five years.
The Associated Press
