America's most popular personality on daytime TV, Judge Judy Sheindlin, made a rare talk show appearance to give a ringing endorsement to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Bloomberg's team announced last week that the mega-billionaire is seriously contemplating a White House bid in 2020. He has already qualified to appear on the Alabama primary ballot and is scrambling to make Arkansas as well, which has a Tuesday deadline.
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Although his campaign is in its nascent stages, he's gained a valuable endorsement in Sheindlin, whose popular TV show, Judge Judy, nabs some 10 million viewers an episode.
"Parties have become so angry with each other that nothing is happening. The American public is paying for a very expensive system...and we're not getting anything done. Bridges, roads aren't getting built, because everybody is so busy hating each other. Michael Bloomberg is the only answer [to this problem,]" Sheindlin declared when speaking to comedian Bill Maher on his HBO show, Real Time With Bill Maher on Friday.
"If you think about it, Michael Bloomberg is the only person running who has over a decade of executive experience running the largest city in the United States," she added. "Let's say your doctor told you tomorrow, 'Hey kid, I hate to tell you this, but you need a new valve in your heart. Would you then look for the best podiatrist in town?"
Unimpressed with the analogy Maher retorted, "People vote with their gut. I like Mike Bloomberg...but I don't see a big city Jew exciting the vote in Alabama or a lot of the country."
Undeterred, the no-nonsense Sheindlin shot back, "But if we're talking seriously and looking at someone who has both the experience and has had the capacity in over 12 years to run one of the most diverse places in the world ... people should care about that."
"There is nothing wrong with a man that came from nothing realizing the American dream... To define @MikeBloomberg as a billionaire is an injustice." – @JudgeJudy #RealTime pic.twitter.com/5nC1xG3Jah
— Real Time (@RealTimers) November 9, 2019
Maher maintained that the election will be won in just a few key swing states, all places that are unlikely to fall Bloomberg's way.
"The election will be decided in a few states: Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania," he said.
He also pointed to Bloomberg's connection big money in Wall Street as a possible hindrance to him securing the nomination in a party that has begun to advocate for more socialist policies.
Ever optimistic, Sheindlin dismissed that take, saying, "You're always going to have naysayers. There's nothing wrong with a man who came from nothing, realizing the American Dream. I realized the American Dream - they put a 52-year-old woman on television that nobody knew and said, 'go be a star.' That's like winning the lottery. Nothing is impossible."
"To define Mike Bloomberg as a billionaire is an injustice. Mike Bloomberg was the mayor of New York and self-made guy," she said, sticking to her guns.
Despite there being only three months until the primary season begins, Bloomberg is thinking about throwing his hat into the ring because he's unconvinced the current crop of candidates can unseat US President Donald Trump.
As for Trump, he doesn't seem threatened by the prospect of facing another New York billionaire head-on.
"Little Michael will fail," Trump said at the White House, adding, "There is nobody I'd rather run against than Little Michael, that I can tell you."
