Former NYC Mayor Bloomberg criticized the Democratic Party for hiding President Biden’s health issues until the election was in full-swing, leading to Vice President Harris being chosen as a last-minute presidential candidate.
In his op-ed at Bloomberg News, he questioned why Democrats lost to Trump, suggesting that covering up Biden’s health problems until they were evident on television was a mistake.
“Democrats, for their part, might ask themselves how exactly they lost to Trump, an ailing 78-year-old who much of the country despises,” he penned. “It probably wasn’t great to cover up President Joe Biden’s infirmities until they became undeniable on live TV.”
He pointed out that it wasn’t “ideal” for “party elders” to replace him with Harris, “a nominee who had received no electoral votes and had failed decisively in a previous presidential run.”
Biden ended his re-election bid in July, after a poor debate performance raised doubts about his fitness to continue. He exited on July 21, nudged by Democratic leaders like Obama and Pelosi, endorsing Harris and transferring his campaign to her.
The NY Times noted Bloomberg’s $50 million donation to a nonprofit backing Harris, contrasting with his lesser contributions to congressional races, less than half of his $95 million in 2018.
In 2018 and 2020, Bloomberg spent over $250 million to oppose Trump. For the 2020 elections, he invested $100 million to support Biden in Florida, where Trump won easily.
Bloomberg criticized Trump’s policies, claiming they would “likely make matters worse.” He urged Congress to guide Trump away from poor ideas and offer him “better alternatives.”
Discussing inflation, he warned Trump’s tariffs and tax cuts could fuel rising prices, risking $15 trillion in debt over ten years.
He suggested Congress resist Trump’s tariffs and “offering the president more targeted ones focused on national security and market access.”
Bloomberg condemned Trump’s immigration strategies, labeling mass deportations as “prohibitively costly, while also impeding economic growth and doing little to fix the underlying problem.”
Finally, he urged lawmakers to “thwart” Trump’s previous term’s “corruption,” advocating for Congress to “pass levelheaded laws that respond to the legitimate concerns of Trump’s voters, while also opposing him as needed.”
