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Billionaire Mike Bloomberg announced on Tuesday that he will not be challenging President Donald Trump for a seat in the Oval Office, citing the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field.
His announcement comes a day after Chappaqua’s Hillary Clinton bowed out of the race.
Bloomberg - the former New York City mayor who owns a Northern Westchester estate in North Salem - noting that he is three-for-three in elections, said he believes he could win election over Trump, but is “clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination."
“I know what it takes to run a winning campaign, and every day when I read the news, I grow more frustrated by the incompetence in the Oval Office. I know we can do better as a country. And I believe I would defeat Donald Trump in a general election. But I am clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field.”
The news comes days after reports surfaced that Bloomberg was eyeballing offices at 7 World Trade Center and the old New York Times building in Times Square as his potential campaign headquarters.
“I’ve run for office three times and won each time, in no small part because I’ve never stuck my finger in the wind to decide what I should believe,” he added. “It’s not who I am, nor do I think it’s what voters want in a leader.
"They want someone who levels with them, even when they disagree, and who is capable of offering practical, sensible, and ambitious ideas — and of solving problems and delivering results.”
Rather than pursue presidential ambitions, Bloomberg said he will concentrate on other issues facing the nation, including energy reform, gun control, the opioid crisis, failing public schools and climate change.
“I love our country too much to sit back and hope for the best as national problems get worse,” Bloomberg said. “But I also recognize that until 2021, and possibly longer, our only real hope for progress lies outside of Washington. And unlike most who are running or thinking of it, I’m fortunate enough to be in a position to devote the resources needed to bring people together and make a big difference.”
Bloomberg said that he has “come to realize that (he’s) less interested in talking than doing, and (he’s) concluded that, for now, the best way for (him) to help the country is by rolling up (his) sleeves and continuing to get work done.”
“I know there’s much more we can do over the next two years, but only if we stay focused on the work and expand upon it. And the fact is: A national presidential campaign would limit my ability to do that.
“While there would be no higher honor than serving as president, my highest obligation as a citizen is to help the country the best way I can, right now.”
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