Michael Bloomberg Will Not Run For President In 2020
Michael R. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who joined the Democratic Party last year to crusade against President Trump, has decided not to challenge Mr. Trump as a candidate in the 2020 election.
Rather than entering the race himself, Mr. Bloomberg intends to plow his political energy and immense personal fortune into other efforts to thwart Mr. Trump and his agenda, including an initiative aimed at rapidly accelerating the country’s transition to renewable energy.
Mr. Bloomberg also expects to be heavily involved in the 2020 general election, organizing and funding opposition to Mr. Trump.
Mr. Bloomberg’s decision appears to reflect a recognition of the long odds he would face in a Democratic primary campaign, as well as the looming presence of a more prominent moderate Democrat, Joseph R. Biden Jr., as a potential rival for the nomination.
Though Mr. Bloomberg is aligned with Democrats on a range of issues like climate change and gun violence, he is also a proudly pro-business moderate in a party that has moved sharply to the left in its rhetoric and policy proposals.
And his record on policing as mayor, as well as his generally favorable view of Wall Street, would likely have proven troublesome in a field that is establishing litmus tests on social justice and corporate power.
