MSNBC host Brian Williams and New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay talked about how Michael Bloomberg’s failed presidential campaign could have given $1 million to every person in the United States instead of using the money on ads.
An interview Thursday evening touched on a Tuesday tweet from journalist Mekita Rivas, who said: “Bloomberg spent $500 million on ads. The U.S. population is 327 million. He could have given each American $1 million and still have money left over, I feel like a $1 million check would be life-changing for people. Yet he wasted it all on ads and STILL LOST.”
“When I read it tonight on social media, it kind of all became clear,” Williams said about the tweet. “He could have given each American $1 million and had lunch money left over. It’s an incredible way of putting it.”
“It’s an incredible way of putting it. It’s true. It’s disturbing,” Gay said. “It does suggest what we are talking about here that there’s too much money in politics.”
Critics on Twitter quickly pointed out that $500 million would not nearly be enough to give each American $1 million dollars. That sum would only be $1.53 a person — enough to buy each American an item off of the McDonald’s dollar menu.
Later in the show, Williams acknowledged the foggy math.
“Turns out Mara and I got the same grades at math. I’m speaking of the tweet we both misinterpreted. He could give each American $1,” Williams said. “Again, I didn’t have it in high school. I don’t have it tonight. I stand corrected. Sorry about that. The tweet is wrong.”
Bloomberg ended his presidential campaign on Wednesday and endorsed Joe Biden. He spent $558 million on television and digital campaign advertisements.
