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Democratic presidential hopefuls Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren participate in the ninth Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 19, 2020. (Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)
Warren Says Democrats Must Oppose Billionaire Who Calls Women 'Fat Broads' and 'Horse-Faced Lesbians' (She Wasn't Talking About Trump)
"We're not going to beat Donald Trump with a man who silences women with who knows how many non-disclosure agreements."
Feb 19, 2020
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the presidential debate stage Wednesday night implored Democrats to oppose a billionaire businessman with a long history of sexist remarks and numerous accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace.
She was referring to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, not President Donald Trump.
Warren argued that Democrats cannot defeat Trump, who himself has a well-publicized record of mistreating and insulting women, by nominating a candidate with a similar history.
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against: A billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians.' And no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg," the Massachusetts senator said. "Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk."
"Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is," Warren added. "But understand this: Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another."
Bloomberg responded that at his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, "the person that runs it's a woman, 70 percent of the people there are women."
"In my company, lots and lots of women have big responsibilities," said Bloomberg, the co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P.
Warren hit back, saying Bloomberg's reply "just doesn't cut it."
"I hope you heard what his defense was: 'I've been nice to some women,'" Warren said. "The mayor has to stand on his record. And what we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there. He has gotten some number of women, dozens, who knows, to sign non-disclosure agreements both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace."
After Warren pressed Bloomberg on whether he would be willing to "release all of those women from those non-disclosure agreements," Bloomberg refused to make such a commitment and downplayed the workplace complaints against him.
"None of them accuse me of doing anything, other than maybe they didn't like a joke I told," Bloomberg said, a remark that was met with noises of disapproval from the audience.
Current Affairs editor Nathan Robinson wrote in a lengthy article on Bloomberg's record earlier this month that the billionaire "is one of Donald Trump's social peers, but he also shares Trump's record of crassly sexist commentary."
"Seventeen women have filed lawsuits over the years against Bloomberg's company, alleging a 'notoriously sexist and hostile work environment' with Bloomberg himself having personally 'encouraged this type of sexist and sexually charged behavior,'" Robinson noted. "According to court records, Bloomberg 'would gawk at women and say about their legs, 'I like that,' and 'defended his attitude by saying it keeps him young.' The list of sexist and crass comments goes on and on."
The comment Warren cited during the debate appears in The Portable Bloomberg, a booklet of quotes given to Bloomberg by employees on his 48th birthday in 1990.
"The Royal family--what a bunch of misfits--a gay, an architect, that horsey faced lesbian, and a kid who gave up Koo Stark for some fat broad," Bloomberg said according to the booklet, which the Washington Post published in full online earlier this month.
"Yes, these are all actual quotes," Elisabeth DeMarse, Bloomberg L.P.'s former chief marketing officer, wrote in the introduction to the booklet.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the presidential debate stage Wednesday night implored Democrats to oppose a billionaire businessman with a long history of sexist remarks and numerous accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace.
She was referring to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, not President Donald Trump.
Warren argued that Democrats cannot defeat Trump, who himself has a well-publicized record of mistreating and insulting women, by nominating a candidate with a similar history.
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against: A billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians.' And no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg," the Massachusetts senator said. "Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk."
"Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is," Warren added. "But understand this: Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another."
Bloomberg responded that at his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, "the person that runs it's a woman, 70 percent of the people there are women."
"In my company, lots and lots of women have big responsibilities," said Bloomberg, the co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P.
Warren hit back, saying Bloomberg's reply "just doesn't cut it."
"I hope you heard what his defense was: 'I've been nice to some women,'" Warren said. "The mayor has to stand on his record. And what we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there. He has gotten some number of women, dozens, who knows, to sign non-disclosure agreements both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace."
After Warren pressed Bloomberg on whether he would be willing to "release all of those women from those non-disclosure agreements," Bloomberg refused to make such a commitment and downplayed the workplace complaints against him.
"None of them accuse me of doing anything, other than maybe they didn't like a joke I told," Bloomberg said, a remark that was met with noises of disapproval from the audience.
Current Affairs editor Nathan Robinson wrote in a lengthy article on Bloomberg's record earlier this month that the billionaire "is one of Donald Trump's social peers, but he also shares Trump's record of crassly sexist commentary."
"Seventeen women have filed lawsuits over the years against Bloomberg's company, alleging a 'notoriously sexist and hostile work environment' with Bloomberg himself having personally 'encouraged this type of sexist and sexually charged behavior,'" Robinson noted. "According to court records, Bloomberg 'would gawk at women and say about their legs, 'I like that,' and 'defended his attitude by saying it keeps him young.' The list of sexist and crass comments goes on and on."
The comment Warren cited during the debate appears in The Portable Bloomberg, a booklet of quotes given to Bloomberg by employees on his 48th birthday in 1990.
"The Royal family--what a bunch of misfits--a gay, an architect, that horsey faced lesbian, and a kid who gave up Koo Stark for some fat broad," Bloomberg said according to the booklet, which the Washington Post published in full online earlier this month.
"Yes, these are all actual quotes," Elisabeth DeMarse, Bloomberg L.P.'s former chief marketing officer, wrote in the introduction to the booklet.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the presidential debate stage Wednesday night implored Democrats to oppose a billionaire businessman with a long history of sexist remarks and numerous accusations of sexual harassment in the workplace.
She was referring to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, not President Donald Trump.
Warren argued that Democrats cannot defeat Trump, who himself has a well-publicized record of mistreating and insulting women, by nominating a candidate with a similar history.
"I'd like to talk about who we're running against: A billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians.' And no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg," the Massachusetts senator said. "Democrats are not going to win if we have a nominee who has a history of hiding his tax returns, of harassing women, and of supporting racist policies like redlining and stop and frisk."
"Look, I'll support whoever the Democratic nominee is," Warren added. "But understand this: Democrats take a huge risk if we just substitute one arrogant billionaire for another."
Bloomberg responded that at his foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, "the person that runs it's a woman, 70 percent of the people there are women."
"In my company, lots and lots of women have big responsibilities," said Bloomberg, the co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P.
Warren hit back, saying Bloomberg's reply "just doesn't cut it."
"I hope you heard what his defense was: 'I've been nice to some women,'" Warren said. "The mayor has to stand on his record. And what we need to know is exactly what's lurking out there. He has gotten some number of women, dozens, who knows, to sign non-disclosure agreements both for sexual harassment and for gender discrimination in the workplace."
After Warren pressed Bloomberg on whether he would be willing to "release all of those women from those non-disclosure agreements," Bloomberg refused to make such a commitment and downplayed the workplace complaints against him.
"None of them accuse me of doing anything, other than maybe they didn't like a joke I told," Bloomberg said, a remark that was met with noises of disapproval from the audience.
Current Affairs editor Nathan Robinson wrote in a lengthy article on Bloomberg's record earlier this month that the billionaire "is one of Donald Trump's social peers, but he also shares Trump's record of crassly sexist commentary."
"Seventeen women have filed lawsuits over the years against Bloomberg's company, alleging a 'notoriously sexist and hostile work environment' with Bloomberg himself having personally 'encouraged this type of sexist and sexually charged behavior,'" Robinson noted. "According to court records, Bloomberg 'would gawk at women and say about their legs, 'I like that,' and 'defended his attitude by saying it keeps him young.' The list of sexist and crass comments goes on and on."
The comment Warren cited during the debate appears in The Portable Bloomberg, a booklet of quotes given to Bloomberg by employees on his 48th birthday in 1990.
"The Royal family--what a bunch of misfits--a gay, an architect, that horsey faced lesbian, and a kid who gave up Koo Stark for some fat broad," Bloomberg said according to the booklet, which the Washington Post published in full online earlier this month.
"Yes, these are all actual quotes," Elisabeth DeMarse, Bloomberg L.P.'s former chief marketing officer, wrote in the introduction to the booklet.
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