Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Milley apologizes for church photo-op Harris grapples with defund the police movement amid veep talk Biden courts younger voters — who have been a weakness MORE (I-Vt.) on Saturday night strongly condemned former New York Mayor Michael BloombergMichael BloombergEngel scrambles to fend off primary challenge from left It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process Liberals embrace super PACs they once shunned MORE over the possibility that he may launch a 2020 presidential campaign, saying that the move displayed the “arrogance of billionaires.”
Sanders made the statement in an interview with ABC News following an Iowa campaign rally in which he appeared alongside first-term Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezAlexandria Ocasio-CortezAttorney says 75-year-old man shoved by Buffalo police suffered brain injury How language is bringing down Donald Trump Highest-circulation Kentucky newspaper endorses Charles Booker in Senate race MORE (D-N.Y.).
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“I’m doing five events this weekend right here in Iowa. We’re all over New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, California. But he’s too important,” Sanders said, referring to reports that Bloomberg would not aggressively compete in the first four voting states. “You see, when you’re worth $50 billion, I guess you don’t have to have town meetings, you don’t have to talk to ordinary people. What you do is you take out, I guess a couple of billion dollars, and you buy the state of California.”
The comments from Sanders came just a day after Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman, filed as a candidate for the Alabama Democratic presidential primary, a first step in a potential 2020 White House bid.
While Bloomberg has not made a final decision on whether to run, the move has led to mounting questions about how his candidacy could impact the crowded 2020 Democratic primary field.
Bloomberg’s centrist views align with former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenHillicon Valley: Biden calls on Facebook to change political speech rules | Dems demand hearings after Georgia election chaos | Microsoft stops selling facial recognition tech to police Trump finalizing executive order calling on police to use ‘force with compassion’ The Hill’s Campaign Report: Biden campaign goes on offensive against Facebook MORE and South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegScaled-back Pride Month poses challenges for fundraising, outreach Biden hopes to pick VP by Aug. 1 It’s as if a Trump operative infiltrated the Democratic primary process MORE. Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenWarren, Democrats urge Trump to back down from veto threat over changing Confederate-named bases OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Joint Chiefs chairman says he regrets participating in Trump photo-op | GOP senators back Joint Chiefs chairman who voiced regret over Trump photo-op | Senate panel approves 0B defense policy bill Trump on collision course with Congress over bases with Confederate names MORE (D-Mass.), the leading progressives in the race, have clear ideological differences with Bloomberg.
Sanders also addressed a possible Bloomberg run during a campaign rally in Iowa, suggesting that the businessman was trying to buy an election.
“Tonight we say to Michael Bloomberg and other billionaires: Sorry, you ain’t gonna buy this election,” Sanders said, according to The Washington Post.
Sanders has made combatting inequality and reigning in financial excess among massive corporations a staple of his campaign for president. He often rails against billionaires and what he views as a system that doesn’t tax them enough.
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Warren, who has echoed many of those talking points, has also taken issue with a possible Bloomberg candidacy.
“The wealthy and well connected are scared,” Warren’s campaign said in an email to supporters as news broke that Bloomberg was considering a run. “They’re scared that under a Warren presidency, they would no longer have a government that caters to their every need. So they’re doing whatever they can to try to stop Elizabeth and our movement from winning in 2020 and bringing big, structural change in 2021.”
Bloomberg announced in March that he would not seek the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. At the time, he cautioned the party against choosing a candidate that would “drag the party to an extreme that would diminish our chances in the general election.”