Politics & Government
Donald Trump Lashes Out at 'Little' Mike Bloomberg
The former mayor of New York City was not kind to the Republican nominee for president at the Democratic National Convention.
NEW YORK, NY — It wasn't a matter of if Donald Trump would respond to former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg's vitriol at the Democratic National Convention but when he would.
The Republican nominee for president made veiled comments toward Bloomberg on Thursday in Iowa, but went on the offensive on his Twitter account Friday morning after Bloomberg's Wednesday speech at the DNC targeted his fellow billionaire.
"I was going to hit one guy in particular, a very little guy," Trump said Thursday. Supporters met his comments with laughter. "I was going to hit this guy so hard his head would spin, he wouldn't know what the hell happened."
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For the record, Bloomberg is either 5-foot-7 or 5-foot-8, but he left no doubt who he was talking about on Friday with a set of tweets directly naming Bloomberg.
"Little" Michael Bloomberg, who never had the guts to run for president, knows nothing about me. His last term as Mayor was a disaster!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016
If Michael Bloomberg ran again for Mayor of New York, he wouldn't get 10% of the vote - they would run him out of town! #NeverHillary
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2016
Bloomberg, who ran for mayor in 2001 as a Republican, was given a primetime speaking slot on Night 3 of the DNC. He used that time to endorse Hillary Clinton, but more as the lesser of two evils. The greater evil, Trump, took his vitriol.
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"Trump has left behind a well-documented record of bankruptcies, thousands of lawsuits, angry shareholders and contractors who feel cheated, and disillusioned customers who feel ripped off," Bloomberg said in his speech. "Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one."
Bloomberg also referred to Trump as "risky, reckless and radical."
A smattering of folks on Twitter pointed to Trump's previous endorsement of Bloomberg in 2012.
@realDonaldTrump Hey, but that's not what you said ever before, you feckless dimwit. pic.twitter.com/BRv2eECeZW
— JordanHeath-Rawlings (@TheGameSheet) July 29, 2016
Former Bloomberg Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson helpfully pointed out Trump also congratulated Bloomberg in the final year of his term, saying he did a "fantastic" job.
Oct 16 2013. 4 years into third term. pic.twitter.com/D91AaQhdWI
— howard wolfson (@howiewolf) July 29, 2016
For the record, Bloomberg got 148 write-in votes in the 2013 mayoral election — a race he wasn't even eligible to win. That was more than any other write-in candidate besides Christine Quinn. Trump, who was theoretically eligible, got zero votes. Surprisingly, he didn't write himself in.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr/Creative Commons
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