Bloomberg to Trump: New Yorkers ‘laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown’

Democratic White House hopeful Michael Bloomberg fired back on Thursday after repeated attacks by President Trump against the former New York City mayor.

“.@realDonaldTrump — we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence,” Bloomberg tweeted. 

“I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will.”

.@realDonaldTrump – we know many of the same people in NY. Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown. They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence.

I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will. https://t.co/fO4azmZaUg

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 13, 2020

The rebuke came in response to a pair of broadsides against Bloomberg in which Trump dubbed the five-foot-eight-inch mayor “Mini Mike” and compared him to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), one of the president’s favorite foils. 

“Mini Mike Bloomberg is a LOSER who has money but can’t debate and has zero presence, you will see. He reminds me of a tiny version of Jeb ‘Low Energy’ Bush, but Jeb has more political skill and has treated the Black community much better than Mini!” Trump tweeted earlier Thursday morning.

Mini Mike Bloomberg is a LOSER who has money but can’t debate and has zero presence, you will see. He reminds me of a tiny version of Jeb “Low Energy” Bush, but Jeb has more political skill and has treated the Black community much better than Mini! https://t.co/qIef5VhjDr

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2020

“Mini Mike is a 5’4” mass of dead energy who does not want to be on the debate stage with these professional politicians. No boxes please. He hates Crazy Bernie and will, with enough money, possibly stop him. Bernie’s people will go nuts!” the president added in a follow up tweet.

Mini Mike is a 5’4” mass of dead energy who does not want to be on the debate stage with these professional politicians. No boxes please. He hates Crazy Bernie and will, with enough money, possibly stop him. Bernie’s people will go nuts!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2020

Bloomberg has sought to make up ground following his late November entry into the presidential race by dropping hundreds of millions of his own dollars on a widespread advertising campaign, with many of the messages targeting Trump as well as touting his own candidacy. 

Our country has a rich history of presidents who respected the power, decorum, and influence of their office.

Unfortunately, that rich history ended the day Trump became president. pic.twitter.com/3QEncsTiNA

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 9, 2020

The former mayor has also said he would use his considerable wealth to back whoever wins the Democratic nomination even if it is not him, a threat that some say could level the playing field as Trump hauls in hundreds of millions of dollars for his reelection bid.