Michael Bloomberg's successor doesn't think he can be president

Michael Bloomberg has not entered the presidential race, but he is already racking up supporters. Not among them is Bill de Blasio, who took over from Bloomberg as the mayor of New York City.

"The people of this country are not going to turn to a billionaire to solve problems that were created largely by billionaires," de Blasio told Politico New York on Monday. "They're just not."

De Blasio endorsed Hillary Clinton in October.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

"I don't think [Bloomberg's] focused on income inequality in his career in government. And I think there is a frustration in this country — Hillary Clinton, to her credit, says that the system is rigged against working people and she made very clear that she's going to close the carried interest loophole. She's very focused on raising wages and benefits — these are the things people need," de Blasio said. "Unless someone has that kind of vision and the background to match it, they're not going to win the support of the American people."