Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is getting a first-hand taste of how rabid and unhinged the Democratic Party base is after announcing that he’s considering a run for president as an independent.

Schultz can take the vexation in measured doses in the toxic wasteland known as social media, but he found himself at the mercy of a highly agitated heckler during an appearance Monday night at a Barnes & Noble in Manhattan.

“I am seriously considering running for president as a centrist independent,” Schultz can be heard saying in a clip. “And I wanted to clarify the word independent, which I view merely as a designation on the ballot.”

No sooner had he gotten the words out than a very loud heckler shouted, “Don’t help elect Trump you egotistical billionaire asshole.”

A member of the audience is heard telling the man to sit down.

In a “60 Minutes” interview on Sunday, the Democratic businessman was critical of his party and the GOP for their “reckless failure” of constitutional responsibility.

Schultz also took a stab at Trump, saying he “was not qualified to be the president.”

There is concern among some Democrats that as an independent, Schultz will split the vote and help assure the president’s reelection.

And the heckler was far from being finished.

In a second clip, the man is heard saying, “Go back to getting ratio’ed on Twitter.”

“Go back to Davos with the other billionaire elite who think they know how to run the work,” he continued.

A few in the crowd can be heard booing the heckler, though there was some applause.

In prime campaign trim, Trump responded to Schultz’s jab by taking to Twitter to say that he “doesn’t have the ‘guts’ to run.”

Trump, in full campaign mode, grinds up Starbucks CEO’s presidential dreams, mocks him over rent payment https://t.co/mlqvqdNaH8 pic.twitter.com/7Y2rmdTkAU — Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) January 28, 2019

The president also mocked Schultz over rent payments.

“I only hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!” he added.

One thing is certain, based on the social media reaction to the heckler, Schultz had better get used to it.

Here’s a sampling of responses from Twitter:

This heckler is all of us. — Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) January 29, 2019

Not all heroes wear capes — Alex Hirsch (@_AlexHirsch) January 29, 2019

That heckler 2020 — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) January 29, 2019

Did I hear some “good trouble” ?? pic.twitter.com/6Y7faEfXgz — Lori (@LoriSums) January 29, 2019

Heckler for the win — James Cervantes (@James_Cervantes) January 29, 2019

I mean… where’s the lie? pic.twitter.com/AImKLaCKyf — Bo (@VApoliticalnerd) January 29, 2019