During a Fox News interview the day of the Iowa caucuses, anchor Neil Cavuto pressed Cuban on Trump's lack of specifics.
Cuban argued that none of the candidates in the race had realistic campaign promises.
"Let's put it in context, right? Is there anything that any candidate has said on either side that's realistic? Tax-cut plans — all nonsense. Bernie's going to pay for everybody's college — can't happen," he said, referring to US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont).
The billionaire investor added:
Then the person who is most forceful — and really the person who can come across the best way and simplify things — has the best chance. It's the old KISS concept: Keep it simple, stupid. And I think Donald has really dialed in on that and understands it. And he'll admit it.
Cuban, a frequent political pundit, said he hadn't decided which candidate he would ultimately back.
But he is clearly not a fan of fellow Texan and Trump's top primary rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Over the weekend, Cuban even
described himself on Twitter as "an ABC voter. Anyone But Cruz."
Cuban, whose basketball arena
hosted a Trump rally in September, said he thought the billionaire developer was playing a bit of a "game" with his television persona.
He told Cavuto:
I've talked to him on the phone a couple times. And like everybody you've had on, when you know Donald, he's kind of got a different personality than what he plays on TV. It's kind of a "don't hate the player, hate the game"-type situation. I haven't made a decision yet, but I'll consider anybody but Ted Cruz.
Cuban additionally said that he thought some of Trump's popularity was because of a proven record of success in business and real estate. Cuban said he appreciated that record, even if he didn't support some of Trump's hard-line policy proposals.
He recalled:
I've said this directly to him. I said, "Donald, I don't agree with a lot of what you're saying. But at least you're the one person that's been able to go out there and get something done and show some accomplishment in their life — other than this bill or that bill passed or stopped."
"So I think people recognize that he's accomplished things, and they're rallying behind that," he added.