If the election comes down to Bernie Sanders versus two billionaires, the Democratic socialist is confident he would win the 2016 election.
“Well, you know, I think it would be very interesting if Donald Trump became Republican [nominee], who’s a multi-billionaire, and Michael Bloomberg became an independent candidate, who is a multi-billionaire,” Sanders told “This Week” host Martha Raddatz on Sunday.
Such a situation, Sanders said, “will tell people what I have been saying for a long time, is that this country is moving away from democracy to oligarchy.”
Billionaires, Sanders added, are “controlling our political life.”
“That is what — that is not what, to my view, American democracy is supposed to be about, a contest between billionaires,” Sanders said. “If that takes place, I am confident that we will win it.”
Earlier in the interview, Raddatz asked Sanders to comment on an article in which Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman was quoted saying the world markets are unsettled because of Sanders, whose campaign largely rides on the idea of reigning in Wall Street and breaking up major financial institutions.
With a laugh, Sanders brushed off the comment as “absolutely absurd.”
“The reason that I am laughing is that I fully admit to having a big ego,” Sanders said. “Like many other politicians. But the idea that Bernie Sanders’ candidacy, because that it has growing support all over this country, is unsettling world markets, is absolutely absurd.”
Now that he is gaining the attention of Wall Street, Sanders said, “tells me that our campaign is doing very well.”
