Ocasio-Cortez Takes Veiled Swipe at Bloomberg’s ‘Plutocratic’ White House Bid

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Thursday took a veiled swipe at billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, branding his late presidential bid as “plutocratic.”

Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter:

Call me radical, but maybe instead of setting ablaze hundreds of millions of dollars on multiple plutocratic, long-shot, very-late presidential bids, we instead invest hundreds of millions into winning majorities of state legislatures across the United States? Just a thought!

Bloomberg filed paperwork Tuesday to appear on the ballot in Arkansas’ March 3 presidential primary, the latest indication that the billionaire former New York City mayor may seek the Democrat nomination.

Bloomberg sent staffers to Alabama last week to file for the primary there, but filed his paperwork in person in Arkansas two hours before the state’s deadline.

“We’re getting closer” to making a decision, Bloomberg told reporters after filing paperwork at the Arkansas Capitol.

He’s moving toward a presidential bid as he warns that the current field of Democratic presidential candidates isn’t equipped to defeat President Donald Trump next year. If he runs, Bloomberg plans to skip campaigning in the traditional early voting states and focus more on Super Tuesday states, including Arkansas and Alabama.

Bloomberg has rebuffed criticism from his potential rivals that his candidacy would amount to buying the election, saying self-financing his campaign means he wouldn’t be beholden to anyone.

Ocasio-Cortez’s tweet comes after former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) announced that he too is mounting a late bid for president.

Patrick said in his announcement video:

In a spirit of profound gratitude for all the country has given to me, with a determination to build a better, more sustainable, more inclusive American Dream for the next generation, I am today announcing my candidacy for President of the United States.

Patrick, who served as Massachusetts’s first African-American governor, is expected to visit New Hampshire to file papers for the state’s primary contest.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.