Former presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg says he is scrapping some of his plans as he is now choosing to give $18 million to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for its battleground state races.
Bloomberg had previously promised voters that he would fund a field program through November to support the nominee. He also said he would employ his campaign’s field staff to support the Democratic nominee. It turns out he is doing neither.
“While we considered creating our own independent entity to support the nominee and hold the president accountable, this race is too important to have many competing groups with good intentions but that are not coordinated and united in strategy and execution,” Bloomberg’s campaign wrote in a memo on Friday. “We therefore believe the best thing we can all do over the next eight months is to help the group that matters most in this fight: the Democratic National Committee.”
I've said I'll do whatever it takes to defeat Trump. That's why I'm supporting the group that matters most in this fight: the @DNC.
— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) March 20, 2020
If we're united, I have no doubt Democrats will win up and down the ballot and take back the White House in November. https://t.co/7AWRHnry1g
Bloomberg was immediately criticized for the move on the left, especially for his decision to lay off the field organizers he had promised work through November.
“Mike Bloomberg lured staffers to his campaign with the promise of employment through November, whether he dropped out or not,” The Intercept’s Aída Chávez said on Twitter. “But he laid them all off. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, his former staffers are uninsured, waiting on the last paycheck, and bound by NDAs.”
Some, including DNC chairmen Tom Perez, praised the move.
“With this transfer from the Bloomberg campaign, Mayor Bloomberg and his team are making good on their commitment to beating Donald Trump,” DNC Chair Tom Perez said in a statement, adding, “This will help us invest in more organizers across the country to elect the next president and help Democrats win up and down the ballot.”
Others saw it as Bloomberg bailing on his promise to stop Trump. The former New York City mayor spent more than $500 million on his own presidential campaign and now is transferring $18 million of leftover campaign funds to the DNC.
“His goal was to stop Sanders and he’s done that,” Adam Johnson, a progressive podcast host, said. “Bloomberg doesn’t care if it’s Trump or Biden.”
