On Sunday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he will decide by February if he will run for president in 2020. In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press,” he said if he does decide, it will be under the Democratic ticket.
NBC's Chuck Todd asked: “What's your timeline on deciding whether you run or not? And what would be the factor if you didn't?”
Bloomberg responded:
“Timeline is beginning of the year, end of January, into February maybe. There's no rush to do it. Everybody wants to know what you're going to do, and the bottom line is I'm not sure yet. I care about a bunch of issues. I care for my kids. I care for this country that's been so good to me. And I want to see how I can help the best. Right now, my foundation and my company, I give 100% of the company's profits, or my share of them, to the foundation. We support an awful lot of things that we're doing that let us explain to people how to do things and give them options. Not telling them what to do, but I think I can make the world a better place in the private sector. Can I make it a better place in the public sector? Maybe. I loved 12 years in city hall. I think it's fair to say most people liked what we did in city hall. Do I think I could be a good president? Yes. I'm not the only one that could be a good president. I disagree with our current president on so many things that I don't even know where to start there.”
Todd went on to ask Bloomberg if he is “trying to figure out if the Democratic Party” will accept him. Bloomberg responded:
“Well, you would have to -- I would certainly run as a Democrat. I'm much closer to their philosophy, although I don't agree with any one party on everything. You would have to run as a Democrat. You would have to get the Democratic nomination. And I think if you go out and you explain to them what you do -- keep in mind, I got elected in New York City, an overwhelming Democratic city, an overwhelming minority city, and I got elected three times. So I must know something about this.”
In September, the UK paper Times of London reported that the billionaire financier and former Republican New York was considering running for president in 2020 as a Democrat.
This is not the first time that Bloomberg’s name has been referenced in the same breath as “president.” He was on the short-list for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s vice-presidential candidate in 2016, while he was likewise reported to be a contender for Republican John McCain’s vice presidential pick in 2008 as well.
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