November 8, 2019

Former New York City Mayor and mega-billionaire Michael Bloomberg has been toying with the idea of running for president for years. As he moves toward a late plunge into the still-crowded Democratic primary, his friends and former advisers and other big Wall Street donors say they love the idea of a President Bloomberg.

But they have a very hard time seeing the Wall Street data-publishing magnate, who once called President Donald Trump a friend and “New York icon,” surviving a leftward-lurching Democratic primary with a win.

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous, the idea that somehow Michael Bloomberg can win the Democratic nomination,” said a senior Wall Street executive who likes Bloomberg personally and admires his philanthropic work. “I think he could wish on a star that the process is different. But it’s not. Maybe he could be a decent candidate against Donald Trump. But he’s been a Republican. How is he going to explain his stop-and-frisk policies to African Americans, or views on charter schools? I would be shocked if in 45 days Bloomberg is actually a serious candidate for president.”

Read more:

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/08/wall-street-michael-bloomberg-068022