Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the DNC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night, former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg called on Americans to vote for Hillary Clinton as the sane alternative to Republican nominee Donald Trump, who he described as a “dangerous demagogue.”
During the speech, Bloomberg sharply criticized his fellow New York billionaire for his business record. “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us,” Bloomberg said, citing Trump’s lawsuits and bankruptcies. “I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one!”
Bloomberg noted the attractiveness of electing a “businessman president” and contrasted Trump’s business record with his own. Bloomberg, whose net worth of $47.7 billion is more than ten times that of Trump, noted that he built his business without a “million-dollar check” from his father. “Truth be told, the richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy,” Bloomberg said.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg had considered a run for president as an independent, but decided against it in early March. In a post on BloombergView titled “The Risk I Will Not Take,” he explained that he couldn’t risk  running because it might lead to Trump or Senator Ted Cruz winning the election. At that time, Bloomberg said he was not ready to endorse anyone for president.
Four months since writing that article, Bloomberg endorsed Clinton for president on the stage of the DNC convention in Philadelphia, calling on his fellow independents to vote for Clinton, not out of party loyalty, but out of concern for America. His speech was much more a biting takedown of Trump than an unqualified endorsement of Clinton. Bloomberg said he sometimes disagreed with Clinton but painted her as the obvious choice in the face of Trump as her opponent.
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