--- description: Michael Bloomberg said the country needs to elect a "sane, competent person," attacked Donald Trump's abilities and endorsed HIllary Clinton title: Bloomberg Says U.S. Needs 'Sane, Competent Person' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b8eef93351d5953/69889febab6d7729c56aaae2/gettyimages-583828186.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 * [Democratic National Convention](/tag/democratic-national-convention/) ## Democratic National Convention Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Michael Bloomberg Says America Needs 'Sane, Competent Person' by [Will Drabold](/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 28, 2016 2:23 AM CUT  Michael Bloomberg speaks on the third evening session of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 27, 2016. Michael Bloomberg speaks on the third evening session of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 27, 2016.Nicholas Kamm—AFP/Getty Images by [Will Drabold](/author/will-drabold/) ## Will Drabold Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 28, 2016 2:23 AM CUT Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Hillary Clinton, speaking as a former Republican-turned-independent. The billionaire, who [once considered a presidential run](http://time.com/4250295/michael-bloomberg-president-trump-cruz/ "undefined") of his own, blasted Republican nominee Donald Trump, arguing that his business experience was overrated given the millions he started with and his numerous bankruptcies. “Donald Trump says he wants to run the country like he runs his business,” he said. “God help us. I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” Bloomberg said he chooses candidates based on their ability to do the job. “Whatever our disagreements may be, we must put them aside for the good of our country. We must unite around a candidate who can beat a dangerous demagogue.” “Tonight, as an independent, I am asking you to join with me, not out of party loyalty,” he said. “Let’s elect a sane, competent person with sane, international experience,” he said, calling her “a unifier who is mature enough to reach out for advice.” “We don’t need a bomb thrower,” he added. “Trump is a risky, reckless choice and we can’t afford to make that choice.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4427695/dnc-michael-bloomberg-sane-competent/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4427695/dnc-michael-bloomberg-sane-competent/"},"headline":"Michael Bloomberg Says America Needs 'Sane, Competent Person'","datePublished":"2016-07-28T02:23:20.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:36:14.694Z","description":"'We don't need a bomb thrower'","url":"https://time.com/4427695/dnc-michael-bloomberg-sane-competent/","keywords":["Democratic National Convention","Hillary Clinton","2016 Election topic","Michael Bloomberg","Donald Trump"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b8eef93351d5953/69889febab6d7729c56aaae2/gettyimages-583828186.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Will Drabold","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/will-drabold/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b8eef93351d5953/69889febab6d7729c56aaae2/gettyimages-583828186.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"US-VOTE-DEMOCRATS-CONVENTION","caption":"US-VOTE-DEMOCRATS-CONVENTION","creditText":"Nicholas Kamm—AFP/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/democratic-national-convention/","name":"Democratic National Convention"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4427695/dnc-michael-bloomberg-sane-competent/","name":"Michael Bloomberg Says America Needs 'Sane, Competent Person'"}}]}] ```