Bloomberg Called Out for Almost Saying He ‘Bought’ 2018 Dem Candidates With $100M in Donations

Self-funding billionaire candidate Mike Bloomberg wanted to prove his party bona fides during the South Carolina debate by noting his financial support for Democratic candidate in the 2018 midterms. But his seemingly awkward “I bough…I got them” slip of the tongue and reversal when touting his $100 million in donations to House Democrats only further fueled the criticism that he’s trying to simply buy the 2020 Dem nomination.

The backlash to his rather transnational take toward his political spending was swift and merciless.

Holy shit, did Bloomberg almost just say of the 41 new Dems in Congress “That’s why I bought them”?

— jelani cobb (@jelani9) February 26, 2020

Bloomberg almost said “I bought them.” Freudian?

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) February 26, 2020

Michael Bloomberg accidentally starts saying “I bought them” in reference to the dozens of freshmen House members who helped flip the house to blue.

Tough slip.

— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) February 26, 2020

Bloomberg channeling Ariana Grande at the #DemDebates

“These freshmen? I bought em” https://t.co/43N9pruaSC pic.twitter.com/Mf5YEIURsa

— Jeff Yang (@originalspin) February 26, 2020

Bloomberg has a slip of the tongue in boasting about his donations to Democratic politicians elected to the House: “I bought—I got them.”

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) February 26, 2020

I BOUGHT THEM — Bloomberg accidentally admitting his world view.

— Markos Moulitsas (@markos) February 26, 2020

Did Bloomberg almost say I “bought” the new members of Congress with his $? #DemDebate2020

— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) February 26, 2020

Bloomberg literally just said “I bought them” on the Democrat House… yep, trying to buy the nomination #DemDebate

— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) February 26, 2020

Shorter Bloomberg just now: “Congress, yeah I bought that too”

— TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) February 26, 2020

Sounded like Bloomberg was about to say “I bought that” and caught himself to say “I got that” about the 40 Dems who flipped seats in 2018.

Really? Millions of people worked to make that happen. And he claims the credit.

The pathological arrogance of plutocrats.#DemDebate

— Kai Newkirk #NotMeUs (@kai_newkirk) February 26, 2020

BLOOMBERG STAFF DURING DEBATE PREP: “Don’t start a sentence with I bought…”

He just remembered that#demdebate

— Mark R. Weaver (@MarkRWeaver) February 26, 2020

Bloomberg: “I bought them.” pic.twitter.com/GJdmFJ85PY

— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) February 26, 2020

And Bloomberg’s slip of the tongue did not go unnoticed by Republican National Committee.

Bloomberg: “I bought them.” pic.twitter.com/GJdmFJ85PY

— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) February 26, 2020