Brian Schwartz of CNBC “Mike Bloomberg might end up running for president, after all”

According to a new piece by Mike Schwartz of CNBC, Mike Bloomberg might end up running for President as a result of Joe Biden’s recent struggles.

NEW: Mike Bloomberg keeps talking to allies about running for president as Joe Biden struggles against Elizabeth Warren. “I think it’s something he wants. He has not been shy about that,” one of Bloomberg’s allies familiar with the talks told CNBC. https://t.co/jPvEUuKaXT

— Brian Schwartz (@schwartzbCNBC) October 14, 2019

Per TheHill, according to a CNBC report, Bloomberg told associates in recent weeks that if Biden were to drop out of the race before voting begins, he would consider launching a late run for the nomination over fears Warren would drag the party too far to the left.

While Warren has caught Biden in some national and early-state polls, the former vice president remains a top contender for the nomination.

“I think it’s something he wants. He has not been shy about that,” an anonymous Bloomberg ally told CNBC. “Nothing can happen unless Biden drops out, and that’s not happening anytime soon.”

Bloomberg announced in March that he did not plan to run for president in the 2020 election, though there have been doubts about whether that decision was final.

Mike Schwartz of CNBC writes:

Mike Bloomberg might end up running for president, after all.

Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York, has indicated to associates in recent weeks that Joe Biden’s recent struggles against Sen. Elizabeth Warren are making him rethink his decision to stay out of the 2020 Democratic primary. That’s according to people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations were deemed private.

Bloomberg has signaled he’s “still looking at” running for president, but people close him say that the only way he could even go down that path is if Biden’s fortunes suffer so much that he drops out before or during the early stages of the primary. Bloomberg could then enter the race as one of the rare moderates with enough name recognition and campaign funding to make a run. Forbes estimates his net worth at $51 billion, and he was planning to spend over $100 million on a campaign for president if he ran.

“I think it’s something he wants. He has not been shy about that,” one of Bloomberg’s allies familiar with the talks told CNBC. “Nothing can happen unless Biden drops out, and that’s not happening anytime soon,” this person added.

“He’s like everyone else. They can’t get it out of their system,” said a banking executive who has known Bloomberg for decades. “Bloomberg is in if Biden is out,” said another New York billionaire with ties to Bloomberg.

During his three terms as mayor, Bloomberg was a Republican and an independent. He registered as a Democrat again one month before the party’s triumph in the 2018 midterm congressional elections, during which Bloomberg was a big donor. He has said he would run as a Democrat if he pursued the White House this time.