Michael Bloomberg endorses Harris: 'I voted for her without hesitation'
Oct 31, 2024
Michael Bloomberg said he voted for Vice President Harris "without hesitation" in an op-ed published by Bloomberg on Thursday.
"I do not agree with Vice President Kamala Harris on every issue, but earlier this week, I voted for her without hesitation," Bloomberg wrote in the essay.
"As I’ve thought about the candidates in this presidential election, I’ve been guided by two main considerations: policy positions and personal integrity," he wrote later in the piece.
"When it comes to policy, the contrast could not be clearer," Bloomberg added.
Bloomberg listed several issues at the forefront of this election cycle: abortion, immigration, gun safety, the economy, climate change and personal integrity.
Bloomberg gave perhaps the largest explanation for voting for Harris as he wrote about personal integrity, saying that "Trump is not fit for high office."
He noted former President Trump's refusal to accept the results of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol.
"He made our country, the world’s greatest nation, look like a banana republic. Most Americans never thought we’d witness such a shameful episode. Trump, rather than apologizing for it — as some of those convicted of Jan. 6-related crimes have done — celebrates it," Bloomberg wrote.
"Why? Because for him, nothing — not America, not our Constitution, not democracy, not the rule of law, not the lives of police officers or any other citizen — matters more than his own vanity and glory," Bloomberg continued.
He said that while he doesn't know Harris well, he's been "impressed" with how she's run her campaign.
"She is determined to lead our nation forward, and she understands that the only way to do that is by bringing people back together," Bloomberg wrote.
On abortion, Bloomberg wrote that "Harris supports reproductive rights and will work to enshrine them into law."
"Donald Trump does not and will not," he added.
On immigration, Bloomberg hit Trump on previous comments he made about deporting millions of people, while applauding Harris for recognizing "that we need comprehensive immigration reform that both secures the border and makes it easier for people to come here legally."
"Trump’s plan to deport millions of people living and working here is a recipe for economic disaster," he wrote. Earlier this year, Trump pledged to expel millions of migrants, The Associated Press reported.
On the economy, Bloomberg claimed that while Harris's "tax and tariff proposals are politically driven" and "would do far less damage to consumers and businesses — and to the national debt," Trump's would not. Trump unveiled his economic agenda earlier this year, which included doubling down on many policies that he leaned on during his first term, while also calling on extended tax cuts, deregulation and tariffs on companies that outsource jobs or import products.
The Hill has contacted the Trump campaign for comment.
"I’m ready. I think most Americans are, too. And that’s why I hope undecided voters of all political stripes will join me in voting for Kamala Harris for president," Bloomberg wrote at the end of the op-ed.