Michael Bloomberg has said he will eat at a Chinese restaurant in the coming days to show solidarity with businesses who have been hit by public fears about coronavirus.
The multi-billionaire and Democratic presidential candidate made the pledge during a Fox News town hall event in Virginia as he hopes to kickstart his 2020 campaign with a strong performance in Super Tuesday this week.
Mr Bloomberg was asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier how he would deal with the impact of coronavirus on the US economy.
“It’s not the economics, it’s the people that are afraid to go out,” he replied, as he argued financial solutions, such as tax cuts, were not the only way to help businesses during the outbreak.
“Go to Chinese restaurants all across the country here in America, where there’s no reason to think whatsoever that you’re going to catch the flu but people aren’t patronising them.”
Neighborhood backlash collides with America’s tech arms race — but is this the plan to fix it?
One southern state’s rise is making it America’s new ‘economic center of gravity’
WATCH: Dem senators dodge backing Kamala Harris in potential 2028 run: ‘Very messy’
Dem Policy Would Make Ralphie Get a Background Check for His Red Ryder BB Gun
Dems hand GOP fresh midterm weapon by opposing widely used voter ID
JPMorgan Sued After Employee Was Allegedly Asked Keep His ‘Gay Job’ Off the Clock
Illegal Families Given $100k: Report Reveals ‘Shadow Welfare System’ This State Uses to Fund Illegals
‘Family Man’ Stopped A Car Thief in Self-Defense: Now, He’s Charged With 7 Felonies
Fugitive suspect in Georgia mom’s silicone injection murder captured 17 years later after DMV slipup: cops
Trump says polls ‘don’t account for one thing,’ as he pledges to defeat communists ‘once and for all’
South Carolina birthday girls’ trip allegedly turns deadly at the hands of bartender, friend says
Iran could move shadow war in a dangerous direction, experts warn on back of two possible terror attacks
Abdul el Sayed has stabilized his Michigan Senate campaign. Can the Democrat hold the gains?
Ukraine Annihilates 3,000 Enemy Troops by Dropping Killer Robots Behind Russian Lines, Makes World History
GOP AGs Target Wall Street Big 3 for Punishing Companies with Bad Credit for Refusing to Comply with Woke ESG
Mr Bloomberg added: “I thought to myself tonight, ‘I’m going to go to a Chinese restaurant’ — it actually turns out I can’t — but I will do it tomorrow night just to show the flag and help them.”
The 78-year-old businessman has based his unconventional campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination on winning big on Tuesday, when voting takes place in 14 states.
Mr Bloomberg has opted to ignore early states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which are normally seen as an indicator of who will win the nomination, and has spent vast sums of money from his personal fortune to fund his campaign.
The former mayor of New York has spent more than $501m (£392m) on television, radio and digital advertising since entering the race, according to CNN.
On Sunday night, he broadcast a three-minute advert on the coronavirus outbreak that mimicked a presidential TV address and reportedly cost more than $1.5m.
Neighborhood backlash collides with America’s tech arms race — but is this the plan to fix it?
One southern state’s rise is making it America’s new ‘economic center of gravity’
WATCH: Dem senators dodge backing Kamala Harris in potential 2028 run: ‘Very messy’
Dem Policy Would Make Ralphie Get a Background Check for His Red Ryder BB Gun
Dems hand GOP fresh midterm weapon by opposing widely used voter ID
JPMorgan Sued After Employee Was Allegedly Asked Keep His ‘Gay Job’ Off the Clock
Illegal Families Given $100k: Report Reveals ‘Shadow Welfare System’ This State Uses to Fund Illegals
‘Family Man’ Stopped A Car Thief in Self-Defense: Now, He’s Charged With 7 Felonies
Fugitive suspect in Georgia mom’s silicone injection murder captured 17 years later after DMV slipup: cops
Trump says polls ‘don’t account for one thing,’ as he pledges to defeat communists ‘once and for all’
South Carolina birthday girls’ trip allegedly turns deadly at the hands of bartender, friend says
Iran could move shadow war in a dangerous direction, experts warn on back of two possible terror attacks
Abdul el Sayed has stabilized his Michigan Senate campaign. Can the Democrat hold the gains?
Ukraine Annihilates 3,000 Enemy Troops by Dropping Killer Robots Behind Russian Lines, Makes World History
GOP AGs Target Wall Street Big 3 for Punishing Companies with Bad Credit for Refusing to Comply with Woke ESG
Critics of the businessman have accused him of attempting to buy the nomination with his personal wealth, by ignoring traditional campaign events and spending huge amounts of money on advertising.
During a bruising Democratic debate last month, Mr Bloomberg was also targeted by another Democratic candidate, Elizabeth Warren, over his past comments about women and the use of non-disclosure agreements at his company.
“I’d like to talk about who we are running against. A billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians. And no, I am not talking about Donald Trump. I am talking about Mayor Bloomberg,” Ms Warren said during the debate.
“Look, I’ll support whoever the Democratic nominee is, but understand this, Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another.”
As of Tuesday morning, Mr Bloomberg was in third place in the Democratic race, according to a polling average from RealClearPolitics.
Story cited here.
