WHEN: Today, Tuesday, May 10th
WHERE: CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report"
Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC interview with former Mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg on CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report" (M-F, 12PM-1PM ET) live from BTIG Charity Day today. Following is a link to the interview on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000516570.
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
SCOTT WAPNER: AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW BY NOW, BOB PISANI IS LIVE AT BTIG'S CHARITY DAY IN NEW YORK CITY, AND HE HAS A VERY SPECIAL GUEST WITH HIM, AS WELL. BOB?
BOB PISANI: THANKS VERY MUCH, SCOTT. BTIG CHARITY DAY – 300 CHARITIES TRYING TO RAISE $5 MILLION. OUR SPECIAL GUEST HERE FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG. AND MICHAEL, OF COURSE, YOU'VE BEEN ACTIVE IN CHARITIES FOR MANY YEARS. TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHARITY FUND AND WHAT YOU'RE REPRESENTING HERE.
MIKE BLOOMBERG: WELL, FIRST LET ME SAY THIS IS MY SECOND FAVORITE TV STATION.
PISANI: WE APPRECIATE THAT.
BLOOMBERG: THAT'S OK. YOUR QUESTION AGAIN?
PISANI: WELL, YOUR CHARITIES. YOU'RE HERE REPRESENTING A NUMBER OF THEM.
BLOOMBERG: LOOK, THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS PEOPLE CAN HELP, AND ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE FINANCE INDUSTRY IS THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY'RE ALL SO GENEROUS. AND YOU START,YOU GO BACK TO A GUY NAMED McGILLICUDDY AND A GUY NAMED SHIPLEY – TWO OF THE BANKS, MANNY HANNY AND CHEMICAL BANK -- THEY STARTED ALL OF THE WALL STREET DONATIONS TO CHARITY SUPPORTING HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE CITY. AND THEN FIRMS LIKE BTIG, HERE IT IS 50 YEARS LATER, AND THEY'RE STILL DOING EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
PISANI: NOW, YOU HAVE BEEN HERE HALF AN HOUR, YOU CAME IN AND THERE WAS A LOT OF APPLAUSE. YOU SPENT 30 MINUTES SHAKING EVERY HAND IN THIS ROOM. THERE MUST BE 300 PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, MANY CELEBRITIES, AS WELL -- ALL LOOKING TO SHAKE YOUR HAND. ARE YOU RUNNING FOR SOMETHING?
BLOOMBERG: NO, BUT I –
PISANI: YOU SEEM SO ENTHUSIASTIC THE WAY YOU WADED INTO THIS CROWD.
BLOOMBERG: WHAT NOBODY EXPECTED WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR IS I LIKE PEOPLE. I WALK DOWN THE STREET, IF THERE'S A POLICE OFFICER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, I CROSS OVER AND SHAKE HIS HAND OR HER HAND, AND SAY THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF US. SANITATION WORKERS, IF THE TRUCK DOESN'T STOP AND THEY DON'T GET OUT, TAKE OFF THE GLOVES AND COME OVER AND SAY HELLO, I'M ANNOYED. FIREFIGHTERS, THE SAME THING. I JUST LIKE PEOPLE.
PISANI: YOU'VE LISTENED TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON HERE AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE YOU'RE RUNNING FOR SOMETHING. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT. I HAVE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS EXTRAORDINARY YEAR IN PRESIDENTIAL POLITICS. IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.
BLOOMBERG: WELL, NOBODY EXPECTED IT TO BE THIS WAY. HILLARY WAS THE PRESUMPTIVE FAVORITE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, AND I ASSUME SHE STILL WILL BE THE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. TRUMP, NOBODY, THERE'S NOBODY THAT THOUGHT THAT HE HAD A POSSIBLE SHOT AT THIS. AND YET HE HAS FOOLED EVERYBODY. FOOLED ISN'T QUITE THE RIGHT WORD. HE'S JUST SURPRISED EVERYBODY, AND TRUMP HAS TIED INTO A FEELING ACROSS THIS COUNTRY THAT THEIR FUTURE ISN'T AS GOOD AS THEY WANT IT TO BE. THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THEIR JOBS, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE DOING, THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE DIRECTION. SOCIAL MEDIA IS PLAYING A PART OF THIS. AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND THE SAME THING IS TRUE FOR BERNIE SANDERS. IT'S LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IN THE END, I ASSUME IT WILL BE HILLARY VERSUS TRUMP, AND THE BOOKIES AND THE POLLS SAY THAT HILLARY WILL WIN, BUT IT'S A LONG WAYS FROM NOW TO NOVEMBER. ANYTHING, AS YOU SEE, CAN HAPPEN.
PISANI: THERE ARE VAGUE RUMORS ABOUT THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATES POTENTIALLY. DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS YOURSELF ABOUT NOT JUMPING IN?
BLOOMBERG: THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE, NUMBER ONE, IT IS TOO LATE TO GET ON THE BALLOT. NUMBER TWO, THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED FOR A TWO-PARTY RACE. THE WAY OUR CONSTITUTION WORKS IS IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT HAVE A MAJORITY, THEN IT GOES TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IN A THREE-WAY RACE OF THREE CREDIBLE CANDIDATES, NOBODY WOULD HAVE A MAJORITY, AND SO IT WOULD GO TO THE HOUSE, AND IF THE HOUSE IS IN REPUBLICAN HANDS THEY WILL PICK THE REPUBLICAN, I ASSUME. IF THE HOUSE CHANGES INTO DEMOCRATIC HANDS, BECAUSE IT IS THE NEXT HOUSE THAT WILL DO THE VOTING, THEY WOULD, I ASSUME, PICK THE DEMOCRAT. SO THE INDEPENDENT WOULD NOT HAVE ANY VOTES IN THAT ONE, SO YOU JUST CAN'T WIN AS A THIRD CANDIDATE.
PISANI: DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS YOURSELF ABOUT NOT JUMPING IN? YOU MADE A DECISION NOT TO.
BLOOMBERG: NO –
PISANI: IN LIGHT OF WHAT HAPPENED, IN LIGHT OF THE CANDIDATES?
BLOOMBERG: TOOK A LOOK AT IT, AND WE DID A LOT OF POLLING. WE WOULD GET A THIRD OF THE VOTES, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET A MAJORITY, AND IF YOU DON'T GET A MAJORITY, THEN YOU CAN SPEND YOUR MONEY A DO A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN LIFE. BEING THE PRESIDENT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO THE HELP PEOPLE, AND IT WOULD BE A GREAT JOB, BUT I AM VERY HAPPY AT WHAT I AM DOING, AND I GET A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. HOPEFULLY OUR FOUNDATION AND MYSELF AND YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING NICE HERE TODAY TO COME AND PROMOTE BTIG'S CHARITY DAY. THERE'S OTHER THINGS TO DO.
PISANI: WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THIS POINT? ANY PARTICULAR ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE DONALD TRUMP? THERE'S A BIG MEETING COMING UP HERE WITH PAUL RYAN ON THURSDAY.
BLOOMBERG: I AM CERTAINLY NOBODY TO GIVE HIM ADVICE. YOU KNOW, TRUMP MARCHES TO HIS OWN DRUMMER, IT WOULD SEEM, AND SO FAR THAT DRUMMER'S BEEN PLAYING THE RIGHT TUNE TO GET HIM THIS FAR. CAN IT TAKE HIM TO THE FINISH LINE? ONLY HISTORY WILL TELL.
PISANI: THERE'S A SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY WE WERE OUT TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING THAT INDICATES ELECTION POLITICS IS STARTING TO WEIGH ON PEOPLE'S DECISIONS MAKING PROCESS THIS YEAR. WHAT CAN WE DO, WHAT CAN THE COUNTRY DO TO GET MORE CERTAINTY TO MAKE BUSINESSES EASIER TO OPERATE? IT'S BEEN A VERY COMMON THEME THAT WE HAVE HEARD ABOUT IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
BLOOMBERG: WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO OPEN UP THIS COUNTRY TO TRADE. PEOPLE THINK THAT GLOBALIZATION HAS HURT BUSINESSES. IT'S NOT. IT IS TECHNOLOGY THAT HAS HURT BUSINESSES, AND SO WE NEED MORE GLOBAL TRADE TO MAKE UP FOR THAT. THE PROBLEM IS SOMETIMES GLOBAL TRADE COSTS JOBS ON ONE SIDE OF THE COUNTRY, BUT IT CREATES MORE JOBS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTRY. THE TROUBLE IS PEOPLE CAN'T MOVE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT SKILLSETS FOR THE NEW JOBS, AND THAT IS WHERE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STEP IN AND DO SOMETHING, SO I AM VERY SYMPATHETIC TO COAL MINERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHO ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS, AS EVERYBODY STOPS USING COAL. IT'S GOING TO SAVE THE PLANET AND IT WILL MAKE YOUR HEALTH AND HIS HEALTH AND HER HEALTH AND MY HEALTH BETTER, BUT NEVERTHELESS THAT PERSON NEEDS SOME HELP, AND WE'VE GOT TO FIND WAYS TO RETRAIN, MOVE, SUBSIDIZE AND GET HIM A JOB OR HER A JOB SO THEY CAN GET SOME OF THE NEW JOBS.
PISANI: WE'VE GOT A QUICK QUESTION FROM MY COLLEAGUE SCOTT FOR THE MAYOR. SCOTT, GO AHEAD.
WAPNER: YEAH, BOB, I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU CAN ASK THE MAYOR WHETHER HE HASANY DIRECT PLANS AT THIS POINT TO MEET WITH MR. TRUMP, AND HOW LONG HE THINKS IT WILL TAKE BEFORE ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICANS FALL BEHIND MR.TRUMP, IF IN FACT HE BELIEVES THEY WILL.
PISANI: SCOTT IS ASKING, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO MEET WITH MR. TRUMP IN THE NEAR FUTURE? WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HIM, AND DO YOU THINK THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICANS ARE, WILL FALL IN LINE BEHIND MR. TRUMP?
BLOOMBERG: DONALD TRUMP HAS A LOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO THAN TO MEET WITH ME. HE IS CAMPAIGNING, AND I'M SURE HE IS GOING TO WORK VERY HARD BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER. I'M NOT HERE TO TELL HIM, I CAN'T TELL THE ESTABLISHMENT OR THE UPSTARTS WHAT TO DO OTHER THAN I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED YOU WANT TO BE GENUINE, YOU WANT TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT YOU BELIEVE, AND YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES AND BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THEM. PUBLIC WANTS SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS, BUT THEY ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU PROMISE THEM THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING. AND THAT IS HILLARY'S JOB AND DONALD'S JOB OF LAY DONALD'S JOB OF LAYING OUT A PLAN. IT'S NICE TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO CREATE JOBS. OKAY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CREATE JOBS? IT'S NICE TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THE WORLD SAFER. OKAY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? IF THERE WERE SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO COMPLEX PROBLEMS, THOSE PROBLEMS WOULD NOT EXIST TODAY, AND SO, IN ONE SOUND BITE WHICH IS THE WAY UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE RUNNING OUR LIVES THESE DAYS, YOU REALLY CAN'T EXPLAIN THAT. AND WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE VOTERS IS SIT BACK, REALLY LISTEN TO THEM. IF YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT HAS EXPERIENCE, YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT HAS JUDGMENT, YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT IS INTELLIGENT, YOU WANT SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS THAT THEY ARE NOT THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE WORLD, AND THEY WILL BRING IN EXPERTS. WE ALWAYS THINK THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE AN ANSWER TO EVERYTHING. CAN'T DO THAT. THE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE A POLICY ON EVERYTHING. CAN'T DO THAT. YOU WANT TO SEE WHO COULD GO AND ATTRACT THE GREAT ADVISERS, WHETHER IT IS THE CABINET SECRETARIES OR SPEECHWRITERS OR LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANTS OR GENERALS IN THE ARMY, AND CIVILIANS WHO RUN THE 4 MILLION PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THIS COUNTRY. RUNNING THE RAILROAD IS THE WAY I WOULD DESCRIBE IT, AND THAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S JOB, THAT AND GETTING ALONG WITH CONGRESS.
PISANI: IS THAT CANDIDATE MR. TRUMP?
BLOOMBERG: WELL, EVERYBODY'S GOT TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS ABOUT WHICH ONE THEY THINK, ASSUMING THESE ARE THE TWO CANDIDATES, WHICH ONE THEY THINK CAN DO THAT JOB.
PISANI: MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR COMING ON YOUR SECOND FAVORITE NETWORK. WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
BLOOMBERG: HAPPY TO DO IT.
PISANI: AND IT STILL LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOU ARE RUNNING FOR SOMETHING.
BLOOMBERG: NO, NO, NO.
PISANI: THE PEOPLE WERE JUST STANDING AROUND YOU, AND YOU WERE JUST HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME. YOU WERE ALL SMILES THE WHOLE TIME. I'VE KNOWN YOU A LONG TIME AND YOU SMILED EVERY INCH OF THE WAY.
BLOOMBERG: YOU KNOW, IF WHEN YOU WALK INTO THIS ROOM AND THEY CHEER, IT DOESN'T PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE, YOU SHOULD SEE A BIG SHRINK.
PISANI: ALRIGHT, SCOTT, GREAT AFTERNOON WITH BTIG RAISING A LOT OF MONEY HERE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR FOR COMING BY. SCOTT, BACK TO YOU.
WAPNER: YEAH, BOB, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND OF COURSE OUR THANKS TO MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, AS WELL.
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