Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Saturday welcomed an independent bid by Michael Bloomberg, predicting that he "would do very well" against the former New York City mayor.
"I wouldn't mind it,"
Trump told Jeanine Pirro on Fox News. "I love the competition, and I understand Michael.
"I know Michael — and I could see him doing it. I would love to have Michael running.
"I think I'd do very well against Michael," Trump added. "And I think I'd do very well, frankly, in a three-person race.
"It would be fine. But I would love to see Michael do this."
The New York Times reported Saturday that Bloomberg was revisiting the possibility of mounting a $1 billion bid for the White House as an independent candidate.
He is apparently alarmed by Trump's standing as the GOP front-runner and at Bernie Sanders lead against Hillary Clinton in the polls.
Trump told Pirro that, while Bloomberg is "very, very anti-Second Amendment," a potential candidacy would "hurt the Democrats."
Similarly, other Republican candidates said a Bloomberg entry would boost the GOP, citing his anti-gun views.
"Gun control’s not that popular in our country, so I think it’ll be probably splitting some of the Democrat vote if that’s one of his key issues to run on," Rand Paul told reporters after a town hall meeting in New Hampshire,
Politico reports.
"That seems to be what’s activated in and inspired him in recent elections — gun control," he added "So, if he splits the Democrat vote and goes for gun control, that might be good for Republicans."
Carly Fiorina, who spoke at the same meeting in Nashua, mentioned Bloomberg in attacking Democratic platforms on climate change, according to Politico.
"With all due respect, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama — and Michael Bloomberg for that matter — climate change is not our greatest threat," she said.
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