Mike Bloomberg: Why I'm Running

I'm running for president to defeat Donald Trump and rebuild America.

We cannot afford four more years of President Trump's reckless and unethical actions. He represents an existential threat to our country and our values. If he wins another term in office, we may never recover from the damage.

The stakes could not be higher. We must win this election. And we must begin rebuilding America.

I believe my unique set of experiences in business, government, and philanthropy will enable me to win and lead.

As a candidate, I'll rally a broad and diverse coalition of Americans to win. And as president, I have the skills to fix what is broken in our great nation. And there is a lot broken.

• We have an economy that is tilted against most Americans.
• We have a health care system that costs too much and doesn't cover everyone.
• We have communities ravaged by gun violence.
• We have schools that aren't preparing our children for success in an increasingly high-tech world.
• We have an immigration system that is cruel and dysfunctional.
• We have a climate crisis that is growing worse by the day.
• We have special interests that corrupt Washington and block progress on all of these issues.

As a child and a Boy Scout, I was taught to believe in the promise and potential of America, and I have never been more worried about its future than I am today.

America is at its best when we work together to find meaningful and lasting solutions to the big challenges that we face.

We need a president who understands that truth – and who can do it, rather than just make promises.

I offer myself as a doer and a problem solver – not a talker. And as someone who is ready to take on the tough fights – and win.

I took on Trump on gun violence – and won stronger gun laws in states across the country.

I took on Trump the climate denier – and have led an effort that has closed more than half the nation's dirty coal plants.

Trump right now is carrying water for Big Tobacco. I've taken on the dangers of e-cigarettes to protect our kids.

I know what it takes to beat Trump, because I already have. And I will do it again.

I've never shied away from a tough fight.

Defeating Trump – and rebuilding America – is the most urgent and important fight of our lives. And I'm going all in.

My resolve to stand up to his bigotry and hatred and wrong-headed policies is anchored in who I am and my belief in government as a force for good.

I've spent my career bringing people together to tackle big problems – and fix them. It has worked well in business – and in running the country's largest, most progressive city.

I know it can work in Washington, too – and I have the leadership skills and experience to make it happen.

I've been very lucky in life. Growing up, my father never earned more than $6,000 in a year. But my mother and father worked very hard to help my sister and me get an education. I managed to work my way through college and get an entry-level job in New York.

And then, when I was 39, I got laid off. I didn't know what I'd do next. But I had an idea to start a company – so I took a chance.

Today our company employs 20,000 people and generates large profits, almost all of which go to helping people across the country and around the world. I've always believed in investing in our employees and treating them well. We pay employees very well and provide the best health care benefits money can buy. And if someone has a baby, they get six months of paid leave.

I've run my company according to my values: honesty, integrity, fairness, inclusion – and that's the same approach I brought to city government.

I was elected mayor of America's most diverse city just weeks after the attacks of 9/11. It was a frightening time for our city and country. But we rebuilt the economy with new jobs and opportunity – for people on all rungs of the economic ladder.

We gave our teachers the largest raise in America, and we improved graduation rates by 42 percent. We cut murders in half while reducing incarceration by nearly 40 percent. We cut the city's carbon footprint by 14 percent and created new programs to combat poverty. And we expanded health care and strengthened immigrant communities.

As mayor, my priority was helping the millions of New Yorkers who needed it most.

And the issues I am most passionate about focus on righting wrongs that have fallen heaviest on the most vulnerable communities. I know government can improve people's lives – because when I ran New York City, that's exactly what we did.

Since leaving City Hall, I founded the largest gun safety group in history. I created a campaign to take on the biggest polluters and climate threats. As mayor, I banned smoking in restaurants and bars and cut teen smoking by 50 percent – and today, we continue to win battles against the tobacco industry and their sleazy attempts to hook young kids on e-cigarettes.

I know how to take on the powerful special interests that corrupt Washington. And I know how to win – because I've done it, time and again. I will be the only candidate in this race who isn't going to take a penny from anyone and will work for a dollar a year.

Over the course of this campaign, I'll tell you what I will do as president, and how I'll do it. I'll outline plans for:

• Creating good-paying jobs
• Providing quality health care for every American
• Stopping gun violence
• Fighting climate change
• Fixing our broken immigration system
• Raising taxes on wealthy individuals like me
• Protecting women's and LGBTQ rights
• Supporting our veterans
• Reestablishing America's place in the world as a force for peace and stability

But more than plans, I offer the leadership to turn plans into reality. To roll up my sleeves, to motivate a country to unite and rebuild America – and make it fairer and better.

And I'm ready to get working.

– Mike Bloomberg