Several of the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders reacted to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s potential late entry into the race with either a shrug or a side-eye at Mr. Bloomberg’s considerable wealth.
“Well, he’s a phenomenal entrepreneur and businessman. I will say that I think it’d be very tough for someone to jump into the race at this point in time,” tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang said on CNN Thursday. “I just wouldn’t envy anyone who tried to get into the race at this late juncture.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, immediately drew attention to the wealth of businessman and former mayor, who is worth an estimated $52 billion.
“Welcome to the race, @MikeBloomberg ! If you’re looking for policy plans that will make a huge difference for working people and which are very popular, start here:” Ms. Warren said on Twitter, linking to an online “calculator for the billionaires” that people can use to see how much they would pay under her wealth tax proposal.
Without specifically referring to Mr. Bloomberg, Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont tweeted Thursday: “The billionaire class is scared and they should be scared.”
Mr. Bloomberg, who has long toyed with a presidential run, is now taking steps to launch a bid. Multiple outlets reported on Thursday that he is prepping paperwork to file for the Alabama Democratic presidential primary, where there is a Friday deadline.
SEE ALSO: Michael Bloomberg launching 2020 White House bid: Report
An adviser to Mr. Bloomberg said the former mayor is “increasingly concerned” that the current field of candidates is not well-positioned to defeat President Trump.
“If Mike runs, he would offer a new choice to Democrats built on a unique record running America’s biggest city, building a business from scratch and taking on some of America’s toughest challenges as a high-impact philanthropist,” said the adviser, Howard Wolfson.
Mr. Bloomberg, who has poured millions of dollars in recent years into Democratic causes such as gun control and combating climate change, had said in March that he could best help the country by doing work outside the confines of a presidential campaign.
“I believe I would defeat Donald Trump in a general election,” he said. “But I am clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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