FACT CHECK: Did Michael Bloomberg Say Trump Is ‘Known Among Other Millionaires As A Con-Artist’?
A meme posted to Facebook Sunday claimed that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg once said that President Donald Trump “is known among other millionaires as a con-artist.”
“I have known Trump for decades. We have traveled in the same business circles. He is known among other millionaires as a con-artist and among business owners as a cheat out to stiff everyone,” Bloomberg is quoted as saying.
Verdict: False
While Bloomberg did call Trump’s candidacy a “con” in 2016, there is no evidence he said this remark.
Fact Check:
Bloomberg has been an outspoken critic of Trump since the 2016 presidential election. “The president is just flunking every single test,” he told Democratic business leaders in January. However, there is no evidence that Bloomberg ever said the quote in question.
The image claims that Bloomberg was the governor of New York, which is also false.
The quote may be patterned after remarks Bloomberg made at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, where he took the stage to campaign for candidate Hillary Clinton. Speaking of Trump’s campaign, Bloomberg said, “I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one!” (Some news outlets reporting on the speech paraphrased Bloomberg, saying he called Trump a “con artist.”)
Despite Bloomberg announcing in March that he wouldn’t run for president in 2020, Axios recently reported that the former mayor might reconsider, especially if former Vice President Joe Biden doesn’t enter the race.
Have a fact check suggestion? Send ideas to [email protected].
