Bloomberg Bid to Pit Populists Against Wall Street - US Institute President

Public Banking Institute President Ellen Brown claims that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s possible entry into the 2016 US presidential race could divide the elections between pro-Wall Street candidates and the leading populists.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s possible entry into the 2016 US presidential race could divide the elections between pro-Wall Street candidates and the leading populists, Public Banking Institute President Ellen Brown told Sputnik.

"Today it’s the populists (Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders) vs. the Wall Street contingent — [Hillary] Clinton and now possibly Bloomberg… In any scenario, I doubt Bloomberg could win, but he could shake up the works," Brown said on Monday.

Over the weekend, US media reports circulated over a possible Bloomberg presidential bid in 2016 as a third party candidate.

Brown noted that in a three-party race with Clinton and Trump, Bloomberg would likely steal votes from Clinton. "In a Trump vs. Sanders race, he could steal votes from either candidate — from Trump as unacceptable to establishment Republicans, or from Sanders as unacceptable to establishment Democrats."

Bloomberg led New York City as a member of the Republican party, but adopted a number of liberal values, including stricter gun control, government regulation as well as positions on other issues. Bloomberg will be the wealthiest US presidential candidate ever to seek office, with an estimated net worth of over $37 billion, more than nine times Trump’s estimated wealth.