Michael Bloomberg struck an explicitly political tone while speaking at a private party in New York Thursday night, fueling the already rampant speculation that he might make an independent bid for the White House.
The former New York City mayor railed against the “corrupt, gridlocked, and broken two-party system” and spoke of “bringing people together around common goals.” He also criticized the current field of presidential candidates for “pointing fingers” and “making pie-in-the-sky promises.”
Bloomberg made his remarks at a book party for Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, who has written about extremism in both parties.
“Peggy has been writing quite a bit about the campaign, which really has been a race to the extremes,” Bloomberg said.
It’s no secret that Bloomberg has been considering a late-stage presidential bid. In an interview with Financial Times earlier this month, the media mogul said he was “looking at all the options” and “listening to what candidates are saying and what the primary voters appear to be doing.”
But he offered an even more robust case for a Bloomberg 2016 campaign Thursday, and was outspoken in criticizing the current field.
“America has lost faith with its institutions. But instead of (fixing) it, they are trying to exploit it,” Bloomberg said. “And the list of supposed villains we hear about is long — but the actual solutions that Americans seek have been in short supply.”
“The problems that we face are very real: We all know about them. There’s wage stagnation at home. American retreat around the world. And a corrupt, gridlocked, and broken two-party system that answers to lobbyists and special interests instead of the American people,” he continued.
“That’s why you see the current candidates out there doing well, and not the conventional ones,” Bloomberg said. “From my time in both business and government, I know that you don’t solve problems by pointing fingers, or making pie-in-the-sky promises. You solve them by bringing people together around common goals, promoting innovation, demonstrating independence, and recognizing that compromise is not a bad word.”
“We will have a very bright future — but only if we build it together,” Bloomberg said.