Democratic presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders expressed confidence Sunday in their ability to beat former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg should he enter the race as an independent, while Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said he would welcome a Bloomberg bid with open arms.
Clinton said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that as she understands Bloomberg's statement, he'll consider running if Clinton does not win the nomination. She said Sunday she'll "relieve" him of that decision by winning the nomination.
People familiar with his plans said Bloomberg is taking preliminary steps toward an independent run and has set a March deadline for the decision. The sources told The Associated Press that if Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, the former mayor is not likely to challenge her in a general election.
Sanders also spoke Sunday on Bloomberg's possible candidacy, saying he'll win if Bloomberg enters the race. The Vermont senator told CBS' "Face the Nation" that a battle between Bloomberg and Donald Trump, two New York billionaires, would favor Sanders' upstart Democratic campaign in a general election.
First, Sanders would have to win the Democratic presidential nomination against Clinton, Trump would have to triumph over his Republican rivals and Bloomberg would have to actually launch an independent bid for president, something he threatened to do on Saturday.
Trump, for his part, told "Meet the Press" he "would love to see Michael Bloomberg run."
"I would love that competition. I think I'd do very well against it," he said Sunday morning, adding that the two have been friends in the past.
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The voting in the major-party nominating contests begins in a week, with the Feb. 1 Iowa Caucuses.
