America has gotten to know a lot more about former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg ever since he’s rocketed to the top of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
And his history of controversial statements that have surfaced could cause new supporters to jump ship.
A 2011 interview offered voters an intimate look into how he might one day shape his policies if elected president — and many senior voters didn’t like what they heard.
“If you show up with prostate cancer and you’re 95, we should say ‘go and enjoy, have a nice day, live a long life,'” said Bloomberg. “There’s no cure and we can’t do anything. If you’re a young person, we should do something about it.”
In short, he suggested denying the elderly any expensive options for recovery and instead prioritizing young American’s health care needs over those of senior citizens.
Healthcare will “bankrupt us,” according to Bloomberg… unless the country starts to deny care to the elderly.
Pundits across social media quickly challenged Bloomberg’s outlook. He was even accused of “scapegoating older Americans” by Forbes contributor Patricia Barnes, who explained that many other factors could be bankrupting the United States.
She called it “misguided” to solely blame the elderly.
Other social media users weighed in, with many users calling Bloomberg an authoritarian.
Joanne Mason wrote, “Guys, I’m beginning to suspect that Bloomberg is an elitist and imperious authoritarian … This man is a monster.”
Guys, I'm beginning to suspect that Bloomberg is an elitist and imperious authoritarian with a severe "The simple people need me and my gov't to decide what they eat, drink and drive and when they should die" God complex.
This man is a monster.— Joanne Mason (@JoanneMason11) February 17, 2020
“Who the hell does he think he is to arbitrarily decide that a 95 year old’s life is worth less than a 25 year old?” asked @Coolish_Breeze.
https://twitter.com/Coolish_Breeze/status/1229229020144918530
Leading up to Bloomberg’s first presidential debate Wednesday night in Las Vegas, it’s a safe bet the former NYC mayor will be grilled by moderators and fellow 2020 candidates about the resurfaced controversial statements.
Bloomberg is going to need some luck to get out of the debate unscathed.
The Horn editorial team