--- description: Michael Bloomberg blasted the "demagoguery" of the 2016 race in a speech on Saturday, referencing Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders title: Bloomberg Blasts Trump and Sanders in Commencement Speech image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ad8af6e710f7526/698891540a4a22dead9c9796/michael-bloomberg-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Michael Bloomberg Blasts Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in Commencement Speech ## Video: Michael Bloomberg Announces He Will Not Run for President [Watch (HLS stream): Michael Bloomberg Announces He Will Not Run for President](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/idRalrNZ.m3u8) (1:08)  _Published 2016-03-07. Michael Bloomberg announced in a statement entitled 'The Risk I Will Not Take' that he will not run for President of the United States in 2016._  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2016 5:02 PM CUT  Michael Bloomberg, United Nations special envoy for cities and climate change and founder of Bloomberg LP, reacts during a news conference at the United Nations COP21 climate summit at Le Bourget in Paris, France, on Dec. 4, 2015. Michael Bloomberg, United Nations special envoy for cities and climate change and founder of Bloomberg LP, reacts during a news conference at the United Nations COP21 climate summit at Le Bourget in Paris, France, on Dec. 4, 2015.Christophe Morin—Bloomberg/Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 30, 2016 5:02 PM CUT Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor who [considered a presidential run](http://time.com/4191502/michael-bloomberg-presidential-run/ "undefined") this year, [blasted the partisan politics](http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-04-30/here-s-your-degree-now-go-defeat-demagogues "undefined") and “demagoguery” of the 2016 race in a commencement speech on Saturday, making reference to both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. “In this year’s presidential election, we’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember in my lifetime,” the billionaire businessman said, in a [column adapted from his remarks](http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2016-04-30/here-s-your-degree-now-go-defeat-demagogues "undefined") at the University of Michigan. “Our country is facing serious and difficult challenges. But rather than offering realistic solutions, candidates in both parties are blaming our problems on easy targets who breed resentment. For Republicans, it’s Mexicans here illegally and Muslims. And for Democrats, it’s the wealthy and Wall Street. The truth is: We cannot solve the problems we face by blaming anyone.” Trump, the Republican front-runner, has repeatedly promised to [build a border wall](http://time.com/4237744/vicente-fox-donald-trump-wall-mexico/ "undefined") and [get Mexico to pay for it](http://time.com/4281926/donald-trump-mexico-border-wall-explanation/ "undefined") and has [called for a ban on Muslims](http://time.com/4253839/donald-trump-islam-hates-us-interview/ "undefined") entering the United States. Sanders, a Democratic candidate, has [repeatedly targeted Wall Street](http://time.com/4184050/democratic-debate-bernie-sanders-campaign-finance/ "undefined") and the “billionaire class.” [Both he and Hillary Clinton](http://time.com/4209279/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-democratic-debate-wall-street/ "undefined") have said they will reform big financial institutions if elected. Bloomberg—who has previously affiliated as both a Republican and Democrat and was considering a run for president as an Independent candidate—criticized “extreme partisanship” and “disturbing” intolerance for other political views in the U.S. and warned that “demagogues are always lurking.” He called on politicians to offer practical solutions instead of “scapegoats or pie-in-the-sky promises.” “Every generation has had to confront its own demagogues. And every generation has stood up and kept them away from the White House. At least so far,” he said. “Today, when a populist candidate promises free college, free health care and a pony, or another candidate promises to make other countries pay for our needs, remember: Those who promise you a free lunch will invariably eat you for breakfast.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/"},"headline":"Michael Bloomberg Blasts Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in Commencement Speech","datePublished":"2016-04-30T17:02:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T17:10:03.533Z","description":"\"We’ve seen more demagoguery from both parties than I can remember\"","url":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ad8af6e710f7526/698891540a4a22dead9c9796/michael-bloomberg-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5ad8af6e710f7526/698891540a4a22dead9c9796/michael-bloomberg-commencement.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Global Mayors Summit Addresses Climate Issues During COP21","caption":"Global Mayors Summit Addresses Climate Issues During COP21","creditText":"Christophe Morin—Bloomberg/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/","name":"Michael Bloomberg Blasts Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders in Commencement Speech"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Michael Bloomberg Announces He Will Not Run for President","description":"Michael Bloomberg announced in a statement entitled 'The Risk I Will Not Take' that he will not run for President of the United States in 2016.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/idRalrNZ/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-03-07T23:42:52.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/idRalrNZ.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/","duration":"PT1M8S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4313436/michael-bloomberg-commencement-speech-donald-trump-bernie-sanders/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```