Michael Bloomberg Says He Would Support Bernie Sanders Or Elizabeth Warren In Election
Democratic presidential Bernie Sanders‘ campaign previously suggested that fellow candidate and billionaire Michael Bloomberg was running in the primary to hurt the Vermont Senator’s chances at securing the nomination. According to a recent report by The New York Times, Bloomberg is willing to support both Sanders and fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren, should either of them win the Democratic nomination.
According to Bloomberg, he would look past the policy differences in Sanders and Warren’s campaigns and consider spending his own money and using his political operation to support them against the incumbent president.
“I really don’t agree with them, but I’d still support them, yes, because compared to Donald Trump that’s easy,” Bloomberg said.
If Bloomberg follows through, The Times reports that he could provide a “shadow operation” that includes hundreds of organizers and a “robust digital operation” to Trump’s Democratic opponent in 2020. The 77-year-old businessman has already spent over $200 million on advertising, and similar funding could provide a significant benefit to the nominee that faces Trump, who currently has a substantial financial advantage in the race.
“It depends whether the candidate needs help; if they’re doing very well, they need less. If they’re not, they’ll need more,” Bloomberg said in an interview in Texas on the campaign trail.
As of now, it’s unclear how the possible shadow operation will transition into the general election and in what manner. Regardless, Bloomberg has many organizers in crucial battleground states and currently plans to open 17 offices in Texas and maintain the “major ones” throughout the general election.
The cost of housing, food, health care, and education are all increasing, but working class wages aren’t keeping pace.
As president, I’ll raise the minimum wage to $15/hr and increase the child tax credit so that no American worker has to raise a family in poverty. pic.twitter.com/3CmwpigKPZ
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) January 8, 2020
Despite his vast wealth, Bloomberg is critical of Trump’s tax cuts, which primarily benefitted the richest, Business Insider reported.
“Too much wealth is in too few hands,” Bloomberg argued, noting that Trump’s tax cuts have contributed to wealth disparity by putting “nearly all the money” into the hands of people like him, who he says “don’t need it.”
Bloomberg’s belief echoes fellow billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who recently voiced his support for taxing the wealthy, noting the growing wealth gap.
Whether Bloomberg will be able to help the eventual Democratic nominee remains to be seen. Per Breitbart, CNN political analyst Molly Ball recently noted that the president raised $46 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and said the 2020 election would be “a whole different ball game for Donald Trump and his opponents.” She said the president would have “essentially unlimited resources” and claims that his recent fundraising haul should be a “real warning sign for Democrats.”
