Business magnate Michael Bloomberg, who served as mayor of New York City for more than a decade, has confirmed for the first time that he is considering a run for the White House.
Bloomberg, 73, told the Financial Times in an interview that he is “looking at all the options” in regards to a possible campaign, citing the quality of the current presidential race which includes fellow billionaire Donald Trump, who is the front-runner in the race for the Republican nomination.
“I find the level of discourse and discussion distressingly banal and an outrage and an insult to the voters,” Bloomberg told the newspaper, adding that the United States deserves “a lot better” than the current state of the race.
Speculation about a possible run for the White House have followed Bloomberg for years, but he has never taken the step to actually mount a presidential campaign. The former mayor, while previously both a Democrat and a Republican, currently identifies as an independent and would have to start putting his name on the ballots at the beginning of March.
“I’m listening to what candidates are saying and what the primary voters appear to be doing,” Bloomberg added.
The comments come just over two weeks after the New York Times reported that Bloomberg had instructed his advisers to draw up plans for a presidential campaign. He reportedly told friends and allies that he would be willing to spend at least $1 billion of his fortune to finance his campaign.
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