KEY POINTS

  • Sanders takes a jibe at Bloomberg
  • He criticized Bloomberg for being absent from the early primaries
  • Sanders: Americans are fed up of billionaires buying elections

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) accused his Democratic primary rival, the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg of using TV advertisements worth millions of dollars to buy the presidency.

"Hey guys, how do you buy the presidency? Well, you buy the presidency, at least he's gonna try to buy the presidency, by spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads," The Hill quoted Sanders saying during a campaign appearance in Nevada.

Sanders pointed out that while Bloomberg was spending more than any other candidate in the 2020 race on TV advertising, he remained conveniently absent from the early primary states.

"I didn't see Mike in Iowa...I didn't see Mike in New Hampshire...hey you know what? I didn't see him here in Nevada!" Sanders said during the campaign.

In an analysis carried out by CNBC, it was found that Bloomberg spent twice more on TV advertising than President Donald Trump and all of his Democratic rivals combined in the 2020 field.

Sanders knocked Bloomberg for his high spending saying that the Americans were tired of billionaires buying elections.

“I got news for Mr. Bloomberg, and that is the American people are sick and tired of billionaires buying elections," the Vermont senator said to applause from his supporters.

Bloomberg has been constantly criticized by Sanders since he announced his entry in the 2020 Presidential race. According to Sanders, Bloomberg could not generate the necessary excitement required to defeat Trump in the 2020 race, The Hill reported. Bloomberg has also been accused of promoting racist policing policy while he was the Mayor of New York.

Senator Bernie Sanders celebrates with supporters after US networks declare him winner of the New Hampshire primary, a critical early test in the Democratic battle for the right to face President Donald Trump in November
Senator Bernie Sanders celebrates with supporters after US networks declare him winner of the New Hampshire primary, a critical early test in the Democratic battle for the right to face President Donald Trump in November AFP / TIMOTHY A. CLARY