Last Updated on November 25, 2019
Even before declaring his candidacy, 77-year-old Michael Bloomberg spent over $30 million on television advertisements to bolster what could be an insurgent campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Bloomberg may be declaring his candidacy too late to appear on early Democrat primary ballots, but this is not stopping the billionaire from reaching deep into his pockets in an attempt to win over the Democratic base.
According to Advertising Analytics, Bloomberg is spending $31 million on one week of television ads that will start today, making history as “the most money of any candidate ever on a single week of political advertising.”
He's done it. @MikeBloomberg has spent the most money of any candidate ever on a single week of political advertising. We're looking at $31M dollars from 11/25-12/3. https://t.co/YiwFaR0udB
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) November 22, 2019
Bloomberg officially declared his candidacy on Sunday, November 24 with the launch of his campaign website.
On his site, Bloomberg claims he is “running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America,” and he will “rally a broad and diverse coalition of Americans to win.”
Prior to announcing his candidacy, Bloomberg made what some considered an apology tour, starting by apologizing for the effective but controversial “stop-and-frisk” New York police program that reduced crime but was called racist for allegedly disproportionately targeting African Americans.
Bloomberg went on to apologize for so-called sexist comments that could cost him votes among women, with a spokesperson saying that the candidate has come to understand “what he has said is disrespectful and wrong” and that he regrets the comments.
President Donald Trump already offered his input on Bloomberg, who many consider to be a powerful addition to the already crowded field of Democrats, giving the candidate the nickname “Little Michael” in a recent interview.
“I’ve known Michael Bloomberg for a long time,” said President Trump. “He’s not going to do well, but I think he’s going to hurt Biden, actually.”
He continued, “Little Michael will fail. He’ll spend a lot of money, he’s got some really big issues, he’s got some personal problems, and he’s got a lot of other problems.”
The president concluded, “He will not do very well, and if he did I’d be happy. There is nobody I’d rather run against than Little Michael, that I can tell you.”
Perhaps confirming President Trump’s suspicions, Bloomberg is expected to spend at least $150 million to secure the Democrat nomination for president.
However, Bloomberg has already missed at least two states’ filing deadlines, and as a result, will not appear on the Democratic primary ballots in Alabama or Arkansas.
