The co-founders of Home Depot believe if Bernie Sanders were president when they tried to open their business in 1978, the home-improvement retailer may never have existed.

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In an exclusive interview with Neil Cavuto, Bernie Marcus and Ken Langone explain why.

"Home Depot is the poster child for capitalism," Marcus said.

The two admittedly said they never thought about giving up on their business, even amid the economic downturn in the late 70s when the company was born. Marcus pointed out, "people needed product. People still had to build houses, fix plumbing."

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When asked about Bernie Sanders' plan to have Wall Street pay for $1.6 trillion in student-loan debt, the two had a few things to say about the self-proclaimed socialist's plan.

"[Bernie Sanders] is the enemy of every entrepreneur that's ever going to be born in the country and has been born in the past" - Bernie Marcus, Home Depot co-founder

Langone agreed, "if the people in America today ... if they want to know what the future holds for them following Bernie Sanders, go to Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, Eastern Europe. Guess what? It doesn't work."

To hear what the successful entrepreneurs did to build their employee base from the ground up, watch the video above.