Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has slammed Democrats who hid President Joe Biden's illness until mid-year, before nominating Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him in the White House months before Tuesday's election. denounced.
bloomberg He wrote an op-ed for the media that bears his name. Following Donald Trump's landslide victory over Harris on Tuesday, we analyzed Trump's second presidential inauguration on Thursday.
The former mayor suggested that Democrats “might ask themselves how they lost” to President Trump, “an ailing 78-year-old man that most of the country despises.”
“It probably wasn't a good idea to hide President Joe Biden's weaknesses until they could no longer be denied on live television,” Bloomberg wrote in an editorial.
He said it would not be “ideal” for “the elder statesmen of the party” to replace him with Harris, “a candidate who won no electoral votes and who failed decisively in the last presidential election.” he added.
Biden, 81, was elected in July, weeks after his abysmal performance in the debates sent the party into a downward spiral and raised questions about whether he still had the mental acuity and stamina to serve as a credible candidate. He ended his re-election campaign.
However, a poll from a long time ago found that many Americans were concerned about his age.
According to an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, as of August 2023, about 77% of Americans said Biden was too old to rule for another four years.
The president resigned on July 21 after not-so-subtle lobbying from Democratic allies, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.
Mr. Biden endorsed Ms. Harris and handed over his campaign to her.
Last month, the New York Times reported that Bloomberg had donated $50 million to nonprofit organizations supporting Harris' presidential bid.
The former mayor, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 2020, was reluctant to donate, but the amount was far less than he spent in the previous election cycle under President Trump.
In a private conversation, Bloomberg, an 82-year-old mogul with a net worth, said: Forbes estimates At $105 billion, he told colleagues he was not impressed with Harris.
Democrats were alarmed by Bloomberg's insistence on confidentiality when donating $50 million to Harris. According to the Times.
Before the donation, Bloomberg had donated just $47 million to support Democrats in Congressional elections, less than half the $95 million he donated to help the party win the midterm elections in 2018. do not have.
Bloomberg donated more than $250 million in 2018 and 2020 to thwart President Trump, the Times reported.
That doesn't include the $1.1 billion he spent on his presidential campaign, which was a financial disaster in the 2020 Democratic primary. Still, he has vowed to spend millions of dollars to defeat President Trump.
In the 2020 election cycle, Bloomberg spent $100 million to boost Biden's campaign in Florida. Trump ended up winning Florida easily.
This time, after Biden left office, Bloomberg was reluctant to donate. The paper said Harris' aides met with her at headquarters and asked for advice on her financial and housing plans before deciding to donate.
with post wire
