Bloomberg Says Trump Would ‘Eat Alive’ the 2020 Democratic Field

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at a news conference at a gun control advocacy event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Feb. 26, 2019. John Locher, File/AP Photo

Former New York City Michael Bloomberg, a 2020 Democratic candidate, said the current Democratic candidates don’t stand a chance against President Donald Trump.

Despite House Democrats’ impeachment inquiries against the president, “I think Trump is getting stronger and I think he would just eat alive the candidates,” Bloomberg, 77, told CNN. He didn’t include himself.

Those candidates “don’t have plans that I think are practical, that can be implemented. They don’t have management experience and the president’s job is a management job,” Bloomberg remarked.

“This is not a job where you take training wheels, this is the future of the world—the free world,” he added. “And you need people with experience.”

Bloomberg said that while he would likely vote for articles of impeachment against Trump, he ultimately believes that voters should decide who they want as president, possibly hinting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) caucus has turned impeachment into a partisan matter.

In the CNN interview, the former mayor again apologized for the New York Police Department’s “stop and frisk” policy—one that he strongly supported when he was in office.

“Look, it was our policy,” he told CNN, adding that it was used “too aggressively.” He added, “And I said I’m sorry. I was wrong and I’m sorry. After that, I don’t know what else to tell you.”

It comes as Bloomberg’s campaign has spent $1.97 million on Facebook from Nov. 24 through Dec. 5, according to recent Facebook data.

Bloomberg’s Facebook spending trumped fellow billionaire and 2020 contender Tom Steyer, who spent $1.3 million over the same period of time. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) spent around $400,000; Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) dropped $382,000; and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg spent $176,000. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the other top contender, spent just $59,200 over the time period, less than Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

President Donald Trump’s campaign spent $667,000 from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5. Overall this year, Trump’s campaign has spent the most, dropping $16.5 million on Facebook campaign ads. Steyer’s campaign has spent $14.4 million overall, with no other campaign spending more than $6 million.

Bloomberg’s Democratic rivals have said he is using his vast amounts of wealth—estimated to be well over $50 billion—to buy the presidency. But he has pushed back against the claims.

“I’m doing exactly the same thing they’re doing, except that I am using my own money, they’re using somebody else’s money, and those other people expect something from them. Nobody gives you money if they don’t expect something. And I don’t want to be bought,” Bloomberg said.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.