Democratic 2020 candidate Michael Bloomberg’s campaign manager said Wednesday that the impeachment proceedings against President Trump are increasing his chances of reelection rather than damaging them as Democrats hope.
“I worry a lot that we’re setting ourselves here to impeachment, acquittal and re-election,” Bloomberg’s campaign manager Kevin Sheekey told CNN.
“You should be outraged by what this president has done, except it’s not helping in the places where this election will ultimately be decided,” Sheekey added.
The impeachment inquiry is “threatening” the reelection of swing state Democrats, Bloomberg’s campaign chief explained, warning that Trump has a “pretty clear shot” at winning the six states Sheekey said the presidential election is decided by, namely Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina Florida, and Arizona.
“The impeachment proceedings are making the president’s re-election more likely, not less likely,” Sheekey concluded.
On why Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, is running to defeat the billionaire New York real estate mogul, Sheekey said, “He thinks that if he doesn’t get in this race and actually shake it up, Donald Trump is slated to win.”
Bloomberg made his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination official on Thursday and kicked off his campaign Sunday with a $37-million ad buy, sparking criticism from some of his rivals that the billionaire businessman is attempting to “buy” the election.
Billionaires “don’t get a bigger share of democracy,” Senator Elizabeth Warren said. “Especially in a Democratic primary.”
“Telling billionaires they can come and buy elections, that does not make democracy work,” the Democratic 2020 contender added.
Bloomberg is currently polling at 2 percent in seventh place in the crowded Democratic primary.
The Democrat-led House Judiciary Committee has scheduled impeachment hearings for next week regarding the accusations against Trump that he engaged in a quid pro quo scheme involving U.S. military aid to Ukraine and Ukraine’s public agreement to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.