Former New York Mayor and gun control activist Michael Bloomberg on Saturday took a shot at Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren's (Mass.) anti-corporate rhetoric, saying, "Enough with this stuff."
Bloomberg, the billionaire philanthropist who founded the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund to advocate for greater gun control, spoke at the nonprofit organization's presidential "Gun Sense" forum in Des Moines, Iowa.
"I just said to Sen. Warren on the way out, 'Senator, congratulations, it's a nice talk. But just to remind you if my company hadn’t been successful, we wouldn’t be here today, so enough with this stuff,'" said Bloomberg, joking with the crowd.
Bloomberg later appeared on CNN Saturday afternoon, where he said Warren thought his quip was funny and understood where he was coming from.
"Somebody has to come up with the monies to support some of these changes we want to make in our society," Bloomberg said. "I'm very proud that my company has made a lot of money. I give 100 percent of my company's earnings to my foundation. The foundation does things like sponsor this conference here is Des Moines so that we can get all 20 candidates, including Elizabeth Warren, who is a very competent, very smart senator as we all know."
After Warren spoke at the gun forum she participated in a press gaggle where she talked about corporate responsibility.
"Look, I got asked about corporate responsibility and about the power that people have all across this country and I believe people ought to be exercising their power," Warren said. "They're here to exercise political power and to talk about how to hold Congress accountable and all of their elected representatives at the state and local level and how to get a president that will fight to reduce gun violence in this country."
She went on to say she supports corporations that share values closer to hers.
"A big corporation that's going to help finance the NRA, that's not where I want to put my money, not in that kind of bank or a big company that's selling guns," Warren said. "Guns, assault weapons that are used to kill people-- that's just not where I want to spend my money. I want to spend it with businesses that are living values closer to mine everyday."
Politico reporter Alex Thompson said Warren didn't take the bait on a question during a gaggle about Bloomberg's comment.
"Look, I think we have a gun crisis and when have people gathered from all across this country to make this moment of sorrow into a moment of determination," Warren said. "I applaud them and am honored to stand with them."
In a gaggle afterward, Warren did not take the bait on Bloomberg’s comment. 'Look, I think we have a gun crisis and when have people gathered from all across this country to make this moment of sorrow into a moment of determination...I applaud them & am honored to stand w/ them" https://t.co/j3NaIi3cpT
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) August 10, 2019